BEST FINANCIAL INSTITUTION

United Community Bank 301 North Main St. Chatham, 483-2491 Numerous branches Headquartered in Chatham, United Community Bank isn’t a faceless Wall Street-based conglomerate; it is committed to the local market. In fact, the bank has just committed $100 million to small business and agricultural lending in central Illinois. The bank goes back to 1907 and has 24 offices in eight central Illinois counties. With three locations in Springfield, an equal number in Auburn and branches in Loami, Pawnee and Divernon, there are plenty of offices in Sangamon County, and you’ll also have a place to go in Roodhouse, Gillespie and Carlinville when you hit the road. Runner-up: Marine Bank

BEST JEWELRY STORE

Denney Jewelers 2901 W. Wabash Ave., 787-0500 Founded in Jacksonville in 1954, Denney Jewelers moved to Springfield six years ago, but the business is already a local favorite. It isn’t the 10,000-square-foot showroom that we like so much, nor is it all the diamonds and opals and rubies. Rather, it is the sales staff that makes Denney Jewelers what it is, and we speak from experience. When you go in to pick out wedding rings, you can be sure that whoever helps you will take their time and patiently answer all your questions, even the silly ones, no matter how big or small your budget. There’s also onsite jewelry repair. Runner-up: Giganti & Giganti

BEST DANCE INSTRUCTOR

Tracey Sims, TurnOut Movement Arts Studio (pictured above) 6100 S. Second St., Suite C, 816-3888 To Tracy Sims, owner of TurnOut Movement Arts Studio, teaching dance is a heck of a lot more than showing people how to move their bodies. “It’s not just about learning dance. They learn about responsibility, they learn how to display their emotions, they learn how to use dance as an outlet,” says Sims, this year’s best dance instructor. Sims says her Taylorville and Springfield studios are thriving, but she is also traveling to Highland and Troy to teach for the Jane Mannion School of Dance, whose students will join Sims’ Springfield dance teams for a special Feb. 18 performance that will raise money for both the Children’s Miracle Network and Sims’ special needs students. In addition to her mainstream students, Sims and her staff teach about 35 students with special needs, an area of expertise for Sims, who focused on special needs classes when earning her master’s degree in movement and wellness.