Ford The Rock

Anthony Cortez, Executive Director, Rockford Public Library

Welcome to Ford the Rock, presented by The Element, where we highlight the people, organizations, and ideas helping shape the future of Rockford. Today, we’re joined by Anthony “Tony” Cortez, Executive Director of the Rockford Public Library. A graduate of Rockford University, Tony has dedicated his career to serving our community through administrative positions, access to information, and lifelong learning opportunities. Under Tony’s leadership, the Rockford Public Library continues to evolve as a vital community resource, offering much more than books—from technology and workforce development programs to community engagement and educational initiatives that impact residents of all ages. We’ll talk with Tony about his journey to library leadership, the role the library plays in the Rockford region today, and his vision for the future of one of our community’s most important institutions. Tony, welcome to Ford the Rock.

Bobby Walsh

Born and raised in Wellesley, Massachusetts, today’s guest has never been afraid to bet on himself. After a few years at the University of New Hampshire, he made a life-changing move at just 20 years old—heading to Chicago to work on the legendary futures trading floor at the Chicago Board of Trade, right in the middle of one of the most intense, high-pressure environments in the country. In 2008, he pivoted and opened his first restaurant back in Wellesley. Like many business owners during the recession, he faced enormous challenges and ultimately sold the restaurant in 2010. Instead of slowing down, he pivoted again. Bobby jumped into real estate and started building an entirely new career from the ground up. Then, in 2016, he and his family relocated to Rockford to raise their young children, which opened the door to the next chapter of his story. In 2017, Bobby joined SupplyCore as their in-house real estate broker. He was in charge of all their local real estate, logistics, warehousing, and property management. He spent three years there and departed in 2020. In 2020, he partnered with Chris Manuel to expand real estate development into residential rehabbing and also took over all property management for CMM & Associates. He spent two years there, leaving in 2022. In the fall of 2022, he decided to go back to selling real estate full-time and joined Dickerson Nieman. And now he has two major projects on North Main Street on Rockford's Northwest side.

Josiah Vander Hayden

Today on the podcast, we’re joined by Josiah Vander Heyden, a realtor, entrepreneur, and builder with a vision for what’s next. He’s been hard at work developing the Union event space and its bar, helping create a destination that’s bringing new energy to the community. But that’s just one piece of the story. Josiah has also launched a new company focused on prefab homes, tapping into a growing market and rethinking how housing can be built more efficiently and affordably. In this episode, he shares insights into the prefab housing industry and talks about his plans to scale the business across the region.

Paul Sletten

Paul Sletten knew early on that the restaurant business was where he belonged. He began his culinary journey as a young apprentice at Café Patou, learning the art of fine dining under Chef Philippe Forcioli, and eventually rising to the role of sous chef. Building on that foundation, Paul took the leap into ownership with Brio, which would later become Abreo, his signature restaurant and a cornerstone of Rockford’s dining scene. From there, he expanded his creative reach with Social Urban Bar, ventured into the food truck scene with Disco Chicken, and added a sweet twist with his ice cream truck, Bad Humor. Most recently, Paul opened Harvey Wallbangers in the former Irish Rose location—continuing his commitment to bringing fresh, inspired food experiences to his favorite part of the city: historic downtown Rockford.

Amy Chatfield, Ad Vice Marketing

Welcome back to the Ford the Rock podcast by The Element of Rockford. Today, I’m catching up with someone who’s been on the show before, and since then, a lot has changed. Last time we talked, she was the VP at Ad Vice Marketing. Now? She’s running the whole show as President. She’s also a mom to an 18-year-old son, leads a small but mighty team of nine—all women—and she’s making some waves in the digital marketing world. We get into what it’s really like running your own company, the pressure that comes with it, and how she’s navigating it all with honesty, humor, and hustle.