Latest news with #AmandaEllis
Chicago Tribune
18-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville again named among top 100 places to live in America
Naperville has yet again been named one of the best places to live in the U.S. but this time it's also being cited for what it offers by way of health. this week unveiled its 2025 Top 100 Best Places to Live list, an appraisal of mid-sized cities across the country in which a whole host of data points, from cultural amenities to air quality, were considered. Naperville made the cut, scoring No. 1 on factors of health. This is the 12th annual year that Livability, a division of Tennessee-based Journal Communications Inc., has published its Top 100 list. Naperville found itself on the list last year, too. Livability's appraisal isn't a ranking 1 to 100 per se, but rather an assembly of places that, according to the publication, fared well on a holistic set of considerations. The idea is that users can interact with the list and create a personalized ranking of their best places to live, Livability says. Only cities with populations between 75,000 to 500,000 were considered, per Livability's website. The list also took into account cities' affordability, only including cities with a median home value of $500,000 or less. 'As Americans face shifting economic conditions in a year wrought with inflation, evolving work dynamics, and a growing desire for a better quality of life, our 'Top 100 Best Places to Live' list celebrates the cities where Americans are creating dream careers, building families, launching businesses and leading meaningful lives,' Livability's editor-in-chief Amanda Ellis said in a news release. In all, Livability bases its list on about 100 different data points. Those divide into eight broad categories: economy, housing and cost of living, amenities, transportation, environment, safety, education and health. Data is pulled from both public and private sources. Federal sources include the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Education, Housing and Urban Development, and Department of Homeland Security. Private sources include satellite imagery and business associations. Based on their performance across factors, cities earned a grade, or a 'LivScore.' More than 2,000 cities that fit its population parameters for 2025 were evaluated before the group was narrowed down to the top 100 scoring cities. Naperville scored a LivScore of 841 out of 1,000. The only other places to score higher than Naperville overall were the Texas towns of Flower Mound and Sugar Land and Carmel, Indiana. But Naperville took the top grade in health, earning the highest LivScore — 91 — in the category. Data points that factored into the list's health rating included life expectancy, doctor and hospital access, and prevalence of health concerns, such as diabetes, asthma and cancer, according to Livability. Other top categories for Naperville included education and safety. As part of its 2025 list, Livability wrote about Naperville: 'Located on the outskirts of Chicago, Naperville residents have it all. Top-rated schools, pristine parks and a busting downtown offer a high quality of life. Throw in a low-cost of living and a tight-knit community, and it's easy to see why Naperville residents love living in this Midwest city.'
Associated Press
07-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Software Firm Partners with Kentucky Groups to Launch Transformative Career Planning Platform
Counterpart announces the launch of Futuriti, a digital platform to help Kentuckians of all ages explore and plan their education and career paths. FRANKFORT, KY, UNITED STATES, February 7, 2025 / / -- Counterpart announces the successful development and launch of Futuriti, a groundbreaking digital platform designed to help Kentuckians of all ages explore and plan their education and career paths. Developed in collaboration with the Commonwealth Education Continuum (CEC), Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS), and the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), the platform officially launched on Tuesday, February 4, at 10 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda. The platform incorporates current, Kentucky-specific education and labor market data to provide users with comprehensive information for making informed decisions about their futures. 'Futuriti is meant not just to be a campaign to encourage higher education, but to be a culture shift that will merge the separation between high school, college, and careers into one systematic approach to building a well-educated Kentucky workforce with increased educational attainment and labor force participation rates that meet or exceed the national average,' said Amanda Ellis, Vice President of Student Access and Success at CPE. The platform features three primary sections, as well as Future Finder, which helps users explore careers available in Kentucky offering livable wages that are aligned with their skills and interests: ● Choose Your Career Path: You can use the Futuriti Future Finder to explore careers that suit your skills and interests and learn what credentials you need to qualify. If you don't know where to start, Futuriti also connects you to career quizzes to give you some ideas. ● Continue Your Education: This section showcases Kentucky's diverse educational pathways, from universities and community colleges to technical programs and apprenticeships. It also provides information about and links to financial aid and scholarship resources. ● Start Your Career: This section helps you find jobs once you have the proper education. It includes resume-building tools, interview preparation guides, and direct access to job openings through the Kentucky Career Center's portal. 'Our work is exciting and fulfilling, especially when we partner with teams championing an initiative that will positively impact so many lives,' Drew Linn, CEO of Counterpart shares. The launch event is open to the public and will showcase the platform's features through live demonstrations. For more information about Futuriti, visit: About Counterpart Established in 1993 in Indianapolis, Counterpart is a leading custom software development firm dedicated to crafting impactful solutions. With over 200 years of combined experience, the in-house team specializes in web and mobile applications, comprehensive management systems, system integrations, and more. Counterpart works across various industries and technologies, partnering with Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, and small businesses to drive meaningful change in how clients operate and create impact. Learn more at Arianna Cruz Counterpart
