Live in Beloit
CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY
Beloit is known for many things – dining, shopping and recreation, to name a few. Beloit also is a city to turn to when it comes to the best in healthcare. With 1,600 employees, including a strong team of experienced physicians, Beloit Health System is the largest employer in Beloit, and of the organization’s staff call Beloit home.
“Physicians who have decided to join the health system are some of the most highly trained in the country. They have a passion for quality care and possess a personal touch,” says Tim McKevett, President and CEO, who lives in Beloit and has been with the organization for 30 years. “Being in the Beloit community allows them to treat their neighbors. That’s what makes it special.”
Two of Beloit Health System’s 140 staff physicians and providers, Dr. Neel Karne and Dr. Alice Townshend, have shared about their experience in choosing and living in Beloit. Click below to read their stories.
Read Dr. Karne’s & Dr. Townshend’s Story
BIG RADIO : IT’S ALL IN THE FAMILY
Ben Thompson was well on his way to a successful career working for a hedge fund company in Chicago, when he made a startling discovery: he really missed the radio business.
“Radio is a mix between entertainment and information,” says Ben, general manager of WGEZ-AM and the Janesville/Beloit market manager for the station’s parent company, Big Radio. “I like the urgency and immediacy aspect of the news side. But there’s also the entertainment side that gives us creative freedom. We can tell stories and make people laugh. Radio strikes every single emotion that connects with listeners. And they’re fiercely loyal to the personalities and the station themselves.”
Ben’s father, Scott, is the owner of Big Radio, a Monroe-based radio group that owns stations in Freeport, Lena, Monroe, Janesville and Beloit. Earlier this year, Big Radio purchased The Hog 105.9 FM in Janesville and WBEL-AM (The Big AM 1380) in Beloit and now owns eight stations in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Big Radio broadcasts both WBEL and WGEZ, an oldies format, from their studios in downtown Beloit.
FINDING A PLACE TO CALL HOME
Derrick Wash could have made his home anywhere following college graduation. But he chose to move to Beloit where he’s happy to be home again.
“There’s so much diversity in Beloit,” he says. “It’s not a small community, but it certainly doesn’t have a big city feel. Everything I need is within driving distance, and it’s a good place to raise kids. For the most part, you know everyone when you live in Beloit.”
Wash is a Microsoft Systems administrator for ABC Supply Company in Beloit. A native of Roscoe, Ill., where his parents still live, Wash attended Rockton Hononegah High School and played football, wrestled and ran track. After graduation, he moved on to Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, where he studied management information systems.
Wash accepted a position as an IT technician with the City of Beloit, before making a move to ABC Supply, where he’s worked for the past 14 years. Wash is responsible for any IT infrastructure issues. “I enjoy working at ABC because of the family-type atmosphere,” he says. “The company has been very good to me.”
BELOIT IS A SPECIAL PLACE
James Pearson has lived all over the country. He’s lived in Portland, Philadelphia and Myrtle Beach, just to name a few cities. But Pearson thinks he’s finally found a special place in Beloit that is ideal for both his family and his career.
Pearson came to Beloit in 2012 as curator of the Wright Museum of Art, one of Beloit’s crown jewels. In 1930, the college partnered with the city of Beloit to fund the construction of the Wright Museum. Since then, the museum has undergone several renovations over the years.
The Wright Museum is home to approximately 4,500 objects, mostly European and American prints and paintings, college portraits, 19th century historic architecture photos, and Asian decorative arts, icons, and prints.
Currently, Pearson serves as interim director while the director is on a year-long sabbatical. Prior to coming to Beloit, he worked as the art gallery general manager at Stony Brook University in New York, where he was a teaching assistant and earned his master’s in art history criticism.
COMING HOME
Beth Jacobsen has plenty of childhood memories. Born and raised in Beloit, Jacobsen fondly recalls spending time outdoors with neighborhood friends, whether it was climbing trees, riding bicycles or swimming in her backyard pool. “Beloit was a neat place to grow up,” she says. “It was a fun and safe place to be.”
After being gone for a number of years, Jacobsen is home again, working at First National Bank and Trust as a trust officer.
“I take a lot of pride in Beloit because I’m from here,” she says. “When I travel and am asked about Beloit, I can give a heartfelt response about our city.”
HOME AT LAST
Larry Arft has spent a 40-year career working in public service. He started in Berkley, Mo., before moving on to the Chicago suburbs, working as village administrator in Bolingbrook and Morton Grove. But he’s finally found a place he can call home in Beloit.
“My wife, Karen, and I have lived in five communities in three different states, but we like Beloit the most,” says Arft, who was hired as city manager in 2003 and recently retired. “The biggest thing is the people. It’s a friendly open atmosphere. New people are welcomed into the social fabric of the community. You don’t have to be a third or fourth generation resident to be engaged in the community.”