Heartland Partnership names interim CEO

Cal MacKay, former chief financial officer of Methodist Medical Center, will run the Heartland Partnership family of companies as it goes through reorganization, the Partnership announced Thursday.

A news release said MacKay will serve as interim  CEO of the Heartland Partnership "and guide it through this transitional period."

MacKay replaces Jim McConoughey, who resigned as president and CEO of the Heartland Partnership and all the companies under its umbrella —including the Peoria Area Chamber and Economic Development Council for Central Illinois — after 10 years at the helm.

"I look at this as an opportunity, not a challenge," MacKay said. "The Heartland Partnership family of companies is a major asset to the region and I'm hoping to help clarify the roles of the organization as we embark on this new regional journey of collaboration in economic development." 

MacKay has lived in Peoria the past 10 years and currently is secretary-treasurer of the Peoria Riverfront Museum board of directors and president of the WD Boyce Council of Boy Scouts of America Council board of directors. He served 10 years as CFO of Methodist Medical Center and in similar roles in Atlanta, Ga. and Nashville, Tenn. prior to that. 

Mark Spenny, chairman of The Heartland Partnership board of directors, MacKay technically retired four months ago but accepted the offer to join the partnership on an interim basis. "The community has asked us to pursue a new direction in economic development, which creates a need for new thinking and leadership. Cal is the right person to help us work through issues and find solutions as we re-organize and re-focus our efforts to better serve Greater Peoria."

MacKay began his duties as interim CEO immediately and will spend the next few days meeting with staff to better understand the organization and its new path. While this is an interim position, Spenny said he and the board look forward to MacKay's leadership "in charting a course to move this organization and our entire region forward."

About the Author

Paul Gordon is the editor of The Peorian after spending 29 years of indentured servitude at the Peoria Journal Star. He’s an award-winning writer, raconteur and song-and-dance man. He also went to a high school whose team name is the Alices (that’s Vincennes Lincoln High School in Indiana; you can look it up).