Our guest speaker was Mark Peterson, general manager of Cherry Vale Mall, owned by CBL Properties who has over 90 properties throughout the nation. Mark has managed Cherry Vale for 28 years, having spent the previous seven years at three other malls prior to coming to Rockford. He says they are continually welcoming new stores and concepts, many of which are exclusively and uniquely available in Rockford. They are constantly reinventing themselves to stay competitive and he could see them becoming a sort of “suburban town center”, including shopping, entertainment and health care. Recently adding many new cameras, he admits security is big with them and he’s proud that you will see a “presence” there. Safety is increasingly important in the world we live in. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit Rotary, Mark.
