Board of Directors

Al Li is president of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce St. Louis and vice president of Global Trade Finance at Regions Bank.

With nearly 20 years of corporate finance and international banking experience, Li is native to the St. Louis area. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications and a Master of Arts in economics from the University of Missouri, as well as an executive MBA from Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis.

In addition to his responsibilities as chamber president and at the bank, Li serves on the Missouri District Export Council, the Southwest Illinois Trade and Investment Council and is a trustee on St. Louis College of Pharmacy’s board of directors. These activities, along with Li’s ardent support of the Mosaic Project and the International Institute of St. Louis, are all part of Li’s effort to help St. Louis to be a global city by attracting foreign direct investment and finding overseas opportunities for local companies, while also making this a friendly place for foreign-born residents.

Craig A. Eversmann is president and chief executive officer of Marsh Shipping Supply Company LLC in Collinsville. He has served in this capacity since 2012. Prior to that, Eversmann worked as vice president of manufacturing for Marsh Shipping Supply.

He graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering in 1984 and a Master of Business Administration from Webster University in 1997.

Marsh Shipping Supply manufactures and sells and exports industrial stencil machines, stencil applicators and inks worldwide. Marsh also manufactures and globally sells carton closure equipment such as water-activated gummed tape dispensers. A growing market and product line are the company’s inkjet printers, also sold worldwide. Marsh’s longstanding worldwide distribution network serves 130 countries.

David Kniepkamp has served as chairman of the board for the Southwest Illinois Trade & Investment Council since the organization established its initial board of directors in July 2016 and has served on the council since it was launched in September 2015. As chairman, he oversees board involvement in the mission of SWITIC and serves as a spokesperson for the organization.

Kniepkamp is president of Fairview Heights, IL-based Smart Controls LLC, a privately held company that designs, manufactures and sells commercial building automation controls for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC), lighting, energy management and access control. Smart Controls manufactures locally and actively sells products nationally and exports its products internationally to the global market.

A graduate of the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri University of Science & Technology), Kniepkamp earned his Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering in 1984. He then went to work for Basler Electric Company as an electrical design engineer in the protective relay group designing microprocessor based electrical distribution and generation protection controls.  Next, Kniepkamp worked for Emerson Electric’s White-Rodgers division. While at White-Rodgers, Kniepkamp specialized in the design of gas ignition controls and thermostats where he earned three patents in the development of new products.

With the insight to make electronic device communicate with each other, in 1993 Kniepkamp launched his own contract engineering company, Kniepkamp Engineering Company, Inc. with a staff who designed microprocessor-based devices in distributed control networks where he earned another patent in the development of new products.  In addition, Kniepkamp Engineering designed a few of its own products used in distributed network communication.

With the desire to expand the ability to manufacture distributed control products, in 2000 Kniepkamp performed an asset purchase of Smart Controls,a manufacturer of programmable controllers used in distributed networks, located in Sacramento, CA and formed Smart Controls, LLC. In 2001, Kniepkamp performed an asset purchase of VisualControl, a manufacturer of graphical programming software for distributed control networks, located in Dayton, Ohio and formed VisualControl, LLC.  In 2004, Kniepkamp merged the assets of Kniepkamp Engineering Co. Inc., Smart Controls, LLC and VisualControl LLC in into Smart Controls, LLC and centralized all manufacturing within Smart Controls’ facility.

Kniepkamp continues to serve as trustee of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Fairview Heights, IL and has since 2003. In addition, he serves as co-chairman of the parish’s finance council.

David C. Miller is the director of aviation for St. Louis Regional Airport Authority in East Alton.

Miller earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Denver and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Northern Colorado.

Miller entered the U.S. Air Force where he was a pilot in the KC-135 and B-52 aircraft.  He also served as the chief of the Strategic Air Command post and chief of the Base of Operations division, both at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.

He is a licensed amateur radio operator and is currently a volunteer coordinator for the Madison County’s severe weather spotter network.

Miller has served on many boards and commissions including: current board member and past board chairman of the River Bend Growth Association; current board member of Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois with assignments to the transportation committee and the military affairs committee; current board member of the Southwest Illinois Trade and Investment Council; current member and past board chairman of the Illinois Public Airports Association; past president and treasurer of Alton Symphony Orchestra; current emergency coordinator for the Madison County Amateur Radio Emergency Service; and a current member and past president of East Alton Rotary Club.

Dennis Wilmsmeyer was appointed executive director of the America’s Central Port in Granite City, IL effective July 1, 2010. Prior to that he spent the previous 11 years with the Port District, six of those years as general manager. Wilmsmeyer joined the Port in 1999 after 12 years in transportation planning and project management with the East-West Gateway Council of Governments in St. Louis, the Kansas City International Airport and a private consulting firm in Missouri.

Wilmsmeyer’s responsibilities at the Port District include managing day-to-day operations, developing the Port’s 1,200-acre industrial park and business campus, redeveloping a former military base, marketing the many benefits of the Port, attracting new tenants to the property and retaining numerous existing tenants. The Port has grown from 12 tenants in 2001 to more than 75 tenants today.

Wilmsmeyer credits the enormous success of the Port District’s growth and development to a dedicated and extremely talented team of 30 employees, all of whom work toward a common goal of bringing business to Southwestern Illinois.

Wilmsmeyer served as president of the national association of the Inland Rivers Ports and Terminals from 2012 to 2014, president of the board of Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois in 2014, its chairman in 2015 and board president of World Trade Center Saint Louis from 2013 to 2015. He also serves on the board of directors of Gateway Regional Medical Center and the Southwestern Illinois Planning Commission. Wilmsmeyer is active in several community organizations and his church.

Ed Weilbacher has served as general manager of the Kaskaskia Regional Port District since 2011. The Port District encompasses Monroe, Randolph and St. Clair counties and is located 30 miles south St. Louis. Four of the Port’s five locations are on the Kaskaskia River; the fifth is located on the Mississippi River. Kaskaskia Regional Port District is the 8^th-largest inland port and the 73^rd-largest port in the U.S. The district ships a mix of products that range from grain, slag, coal, steel and scrubber stone. Phase two of a $5 million expansion is under construction at KRPD’s No. 2 location.

Weilbacher holds a Bachelor of Science in agronomy from Western Illinois University.He has worked throughout the State of Illinois with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for 36 years. For the past 20 years, Weilbach worked as the coordinator in assisting the regional non profit organization now known as HeartLands Conservancy.

Weilbacher has been involved with the Kaskaskia River and its watershed for more than 30 years. He works closely with local, state and federal agencies to improve the river and add to the quality of life of the region. He serves as president of the Kaskaskia Watershed Association.

As director of the Peoria U.S. Export Assistance Center, Elizabeth Ahearn is the primary point of contact for implementing programs and policies of the U.S. Commercial Service for Central and Southern Illinois. The Commercial Service, as part of the International Trade Administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce, offers export assistance through trade counseling, business matchmaking, market intelligence and trade advocacy.

Ahearn possesses more than 20 years of international experience spanning the private sector, academia and public service. She has extensive private-sector experience working as an international consultant, sales development manager, account executive and international credit manager. In addition to her experience in the corporate world with large, medium and small enterprises, Ahearn is an entrepreneur. She launched her own consulting firm in 2011 that focuses on international business operations. Ahearn also has experience in academia as the director of international programs and professor of business at Greenville University.

Ahearn has an Executive Master of International Business degree from Saint Louis University and a Bachelor of Arts in History/Political Science and Spanish.

Erick A. Dahl has served as director of St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia since 2013 and possesses more than 20 years of aviation career experience.

Dahl is responsible for overall operation of the third-busiest airport in the State of Illinois. Included in his duties are collaborating with St. Louis Downtown Airport tenants to solve longstanding lease and airport issues and programing a lease document management system. Evaluating hangar development options, establishing rates, fees and design schedules to meet airport objectives and conducting pre-design on hangar layout plans are also within Dahl’s purview.

Prior to working at St. Louis Downtown Airport, Dahl worked for nine years as airport director of Watertown Regional Airport in Watertown, SD. His professional experience also includes time as operations specialist for South Bend (IN) Regional Airport.

Dahl is completing a Master of Business Administration in Aviation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Airport Management from the University of North Dakota. He became licensed as a private pilot in 2002, completing an incident command system certification from FEMA in 2005.

Dahl has been a certified member of the American Association of Airport Executives for nearly 16 years and served as a panelist for the Transportation Research Board from 2011 to 2013.

Erika Kennett is passionate about the St. Louis metropolitan area and focuses on working with nonprofit and governmental organizations.

Kennett has worked on both sides of the Mississippi River in economic development locally, regionally and statewide. As the Southwestern Illinois regional manager of the Illinois Dept. of Commerce, Kennett supports economic development efforts a nine-county region.

By the age of 33, she led two economic development nonprofit organizations as executive director. Kennett’s work in economic development marketing has been recognized as a Recipient of Excellence in Economic Development by the International Economic Development Council. She has served the Edwardsville area as an elected official and is now charged by the State of Illinois to foster economic growth throughout Southwestern Illinois.

Kennett currently serves on numerous boards including: Southwestern Illinois Development Authority, secretary; East-West Gateway Council of Governments; Southwestern Illinois Trade and Investment Council; Governor’s Rural Affairs Council (Illinois); National Corn to Ethanol Research Center,stakeholder; and Monroe County Economic Development Council.

Kennett earned her Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from Eastern Illinois University and her Master of Arts in Public Administration from Troy University.

Herb R. Roach has served as Mayor of O’Fallon, IL since May 1, 2017.

Roach possesses more than 40 years of business experience, having worked as an executive in manufacturing, distribution and financial organizations including Heartland Bank, Best Manufacturing Group (formerly Artex) and Basler Electric Company. For 21 years, Roach and his wife, Nancy, owned and operated their own business.

Roach’s professional experience is steeped in business development, organization development, finance, budgeting and strategic planning. He worked to develop more than 15 facilities and management teams throughout the U.S. and abroad. Roach was a lead negotiator and participant on multiple merger and acquisition teams; his responsibilities included corporate and division management, information technology, quality control and training in supply chain management and customer service. Additionally he is well versed in legal and governmental affairs.

His domestic and international business experience, paired with his ability to deal with complex governmental requirements, lends to Roach’s leadership on the board of SWITIC.

Roach’s public service resume also includes serving as alderman for O’Fallon’s 4^th Ward from 2011 to 2017. He has been serving on Lindenwood University’s board of directors for 15 years, for six years on the Illinois Chamber of Commerce board of directors and six years as a member of the Illinois State Board of Education.

On January 5, 2010, James Arnold joined Madison County Community Development as a part of its Community Development Block Grant team.

In his current position, James is the economic development program coordinator for Community Development Block Grants. He focuses on administering the residential demolition program and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility grant program, monitoring code enforcement activities for Granite City and Alton, administers the Partners in Economic Progress (PEP) Grant and PEP Loan, the US EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant, provides oversight for the HOME program and the Housing Quality Standards (HQD) inspections for HOME as well as labor compliance for HOME. Arnold also spends his time performing environmental reviews and grant reporting.

Arnold received his Master of Arts in Educational Studies from McKendree University in December 2015. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from McKendree College in 2008. Arnold’s background in science and teaching has played an integral part in his ability to serve the citizens of Madison County.

Born and raised in Edwardsville, IL, Arnold attended Edwardsville High School and graduated in 2004. He resides in Edwardsville. Arnold serves on the Recreation, Arts and Special Events Board for the City of Edwardsville. In his spare time, volunteers as head soccer coach at Mater Dei Catholic High School in Breese, IL.

Kim Hamilton has worked as an employee of the Illinois Dept. of Agriculture’s Bureau of Marketing, Promotion & Grants for 28 years. She has aggressively worked with the Illinois food industry in helping companies access overseas markets. Hamilton has coordinated various food buyers’ missions from around the world for both the Illinois Dept. of Agriculture and the Food Export Association of the Midwest. She has organized Illinois food companies’ participation in major trade shows around the world.

Hamilton consults with Illinois-based food companies on export procedures and import requirements and is responsible for educational workshops that teach Illinois agribusinesses how to expand their export businesses. She has been the project manager for several USDA Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) projects that help Illinois firms gain access to federal marketing programs. Hamilton has coordinated advertising campaigns in several international trade publications.

On numerous occasions, Hamilton has been asked to speak to companies and international marketing professionals about exporting and resources within the industry.

A graduate of Western Illinois University with a degree in marketing from Bradley University and a certificate in International Marketing, Hamilton has represented the Illinois Dept. of Agriculture during travels to Europe, Asia, Latin America and Canada, including an historic trip to Cuba. Hamilton has been recognized by the Food Export Association of the Midwest for her contributions in activity management. She was featured among “40 leaders under the age of 40: Profile of 40 Young Export Leaders” in the American Food and Ag Exporter Magazine as one who is dedicated to furthering the export trade of American food and agricultural products.

In December 2011, Kim received the Director’s Achievement Award from the Illinois Dept. of Agriculture.

Paul Toskin is vice president and manager of Commerce Bank’s Trade Service Group in St. Louis.

After completing a Bachelor of International Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in German at Otterbein University, Toskin began his banking career in 1980 at BancOhio in Columbus, producing country studies for BancOhio’s International Lending group. Toskin joined Commerce Bank’s International Trade Group in Kansas City in 1984. For nearly 35 years, he has worked at Commerce bank, helping companies efficiently and safely finance the sourcing of products globally and manage foreign credit risk associated with exports.

In 1987, Toskin attended and completed training at the American Bankers Association’s School of International Banking at the University of Colorado.

He has published articles on international banking issues and has received appointments from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the Missouri District Export Council. Toskin is the creator of the International Transactions course, part of the Chancellor’s Certificate in the International Trade program of the World Trade Center St. Louis and University of Missouri-St. Louis. He currently teaches this course.

Ric Frantz is chief executive officer of LR International Inc., a global logistics firm with representative offices in 102 countries.

With more than 40 years’ experience in international trade including several years as an international trade finance banker and an export manager for a multinational corporation, Frantz is recognized nationally as a foremost authority on global trade and logistics.

His achievements and honors include receiving the President’s “E” Award and the “E Star” Award for Export Service, along with two Governor’s Export Awards. Frantz was appointed to the Illinois District Export Council by eight U.S. Secretaries of Commerce and was elected to the Madison (WI) International Trade Association’s board of directors.

Frantz is a past president of the International Trade Club of Chicago, the oldest and most prestigious international trade organization in the country. He serves on several international business committees and collaborated on an import/export book published by the American Management Association. Frantz has been the subject of a profile and a citation in Crain’s Chicago Business. He has been interviewed by CNN for broadcasts worldwide on events affecting commerce.

A native of Chicago, Frantz studied business administration and marketing at DePaul University. He holds an International Trade Certificate from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and he earned a Certification in Export Management and Compliance from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce.

Robert Elmore began serving as a Monroe County, IL board commissioner on December 1, 2014.

Elmore is currently chairman of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners. In that capacity, he also serves on the following boards and committees: representative on the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council, second vice chairman of the 
Monroe County Nursing Home Memorial Endowment Association; member of the 
Southwestern Illinois Planning Commission.

Elmore, a retired businessman, is an active member of Immanuel Lutheran Church and serves on the Church Council as Chairman of the Board of Evangelism. He is a native of Springfield, IL and has lived in Waterloo IL since 2008.

As director of the International Trade Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville within the School of Business, Silvia Torres Bowman manages a program of export consulting and training in international business planning, marketing, logistics and trade finance. She assists small- and medium-sized businesses in Southern Illinois that are interested in establishing or expanding their international trade opportunities.

During the past eight years, Torres Bowman has assisted clients in the generation of more than $578 million in export sales and has collaborated with several winners of the Governor’s Export Award Programs as well as the President’s “E” Award.

Torres Bowman possesses more than 25 years of international business experience, both in the public and private sectors. Previously she worked in international sales for a major manufacturer of food industrial equipment. Torres Bowman was born and raised in Lima, Perú.

She holds a Master of Business Administration from Webster University and is a Certified Global Business Professional (NASBITE CGBP).

Terry Beach possesses more than 40 years of experience in public service including economic development, community development, hands-on special project management and problem solving.

As executive director of St. Clair County’s Intergovernmental Grants Department and its Community Action Agency since 2015, Beach manages two diverse agencies that administer a variety of federal and state grant programs, including:the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME and housing assistance programs for St. Clair County; the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program (WIOA) job training/workforce development programs for a five-county region (St. Clair, Monroe, Randolph, Washington and Clinton counties); the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), LIHEAP/PIPP and weatherization programs; and Continuum of Care homeless assistance and related programs assisting persons and families most in need.

Since September 2005, Beach has also worked as St. Clair County’s economic development director. In this role he manages a full-service economic development agency that works closely with existing companies looking to expand, and with commercial/industrial realtors and site selection consultants. Services that Beach oversees in this capacity include business financing (business loans & industrial revenue bonds) as well as enterprise zone administration and business retention/expansion. Beach represents St. Clair County on all municipal tax increment financing (TIF) Joint Review boards. He also assists MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in its business development activities; 3,600 acres of the airport’s 6,000 acres are in Foreign Trade Zone #31. The airport is Port of Entry #4581 and is located in a state-certified Enterprise Zone, one of two such zones administered by Beach’s department.

Tim Cantwell is director of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. The airport is co-located with Scott Air Force Base and has more than 50,000 large aircraft operations a year.

Cantwell led the efforts to establish the airport as U.S. Port of Entry 4581 and Foreign Trade Zone 31. Coupled with easy access to major interstate highways, the airport is a central U.S. portal for international commerce. The airport hosts commercial passenger service with 2017 passenger levels exceeding 250,000 individuals and international cargo charter service, with tenants including The Boeing Company and North Bay Produce.

Cantwellserves as a board trustee for The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA).

A 1976 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Cantwell holds a Master of Political Science from Salve Regina University and a Master of Arts in National Security from the U.S. Naval War College. In 1996, he completed an education at the Royal College of Defence Studies, an international diplomatic school in London.

Cantwell served in the USAF for 22 years in command and flying positions including piloting more than 400 combat hours in the F-16 and the F-15E.