By Adam Studzinski

NORMAL – The McLean County Community Compact held a panel discussion Thursday at Heartland Community College on retaining local young talent.

When asked what drew her to Bloomington-Normal, Becky Gropp with Heartland said a short commute was a big factor.

“The fact that I could move back here, be close to family, and still have a good work-life balance,” said Gropp. “I’m not spending my time commuting. I’m not spending 12 hours at work.

“I’ve made a pretty solid commitment to stay in the community and a lot of that has to do with the fact that we’re a very close knit community.”

Illinois Wesleyan University student Will Teichman said the safety and culture of an area are factors for him when deciding where to live.

“I heard the discussion about creating more culture in our town through restaurants and arts festivals, and I think that’s a great way to do that,” said Teichman. “I think that we’re the young and the restless because we always like to experience new things and a great way to generate that is to have these authentic local stores.”

Kelli Hill with the Compact explained it’s important to hear from these individuals because it helps them understand what they can do to attract more people to the community.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].