As executive secretary for Ameren Illinois, Holli Willmert provides administrative support for executive officers and coordinates the Ameren Cares charitable donation program, assisting the community relations team in providing resources to help local nonprofit organizations. Under her leadership, Ameren has played a key role in the growth of programs at Easter Seals, the Tri-County Urban League and St. Jude, as well as the development of the Peoria Riverfront Museum and Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum. In addition to managing applications, she serves as a liaison with these organizations to ensure the contributions are achieving the desired results.
Willmert has also coordinated Ameren’s annual Heart of Illinois United Way giving campaign for 14 years, leading the development of internal campaigns that have boosted participation by more than 80 percent in the firm’s downtown Peoria office, ranking it among the region’s top 10 corporate contributors. In addition, she assists with the company-wide United Way campaign for more than 3,000 Ameren employees.
With a strong passion for children and youth, Willmert was instrumental in organizing Ameren’s involvement in Dream Center Peoria’s Backpack Peoria donation program. At Cornerstone Baptist Church in Morton, she has supported youth ministry activities for years, assisting with Vacation Bible School, the AWANA program and the Core Group youth mentoring program, among others. She has also volunteered and served as board treasurer for the Tazewell County Child Advocacy Center.
Willmert’s greatest passion, however, revolves around adoption. In addition to supporting the Called 2 Care orphan program within her church, she has traveled to Ethiopia as a volunteer for the Ordinary Hero orphan ministry organization, publishing its monthly email newsletter for the last four years. In 2012, she participated in a mission trip to China to assist Maria’s Big House of Hope, a care center that serves orphans with medical needs. Along the way, she developed a deep connection with a young boy, who she was able to bring home as her adopted son in the summer of 2013. iBi
