FRONT & CENTER
• What is (was) your day job?
My current day job(s) include: 1. Director of Development for the Illinois Consortium for 21st Century Skills, a new not-for-profit aimed to promote the National and State initiatives to bring teaching and learning into the 21st Century by adapting critical thinking skills, promoting cooperation and collaboration through project based learning, etc. These ideas grew out of a partnership between educators and business people as the U.S. has and is falling way behind in education and preparation for the ever changing global economy; 2. Real Estate Broker (15 years) with the new @(At) Properties office in Winnetka.
• What is your favorite book? or book genre?
Love anything by Wally Lamb, especially, "She's Come Undone."
• If you were in charge, what would you mandate be the national pastime?
Fun, fun, fun with some "Service Above Self" mixed in.
• What are your hobbies?
My hobbies include, what I consider my third job (profession), making jewelry. I have a small company, Sioux-Shi Designs that I use to market my hand made sterling silver and gold filled necklaces, bracelets and earrings with semi-precious stones. This is what takes me away from the stresses of the other jobs! I also love to play tennis, hike in the mountains, cook and entertain!
• What do most people NOT know about me?
I grew up in Glencoe, graduated from New Trier (East), and was in the first two years of the alternative school at New Trier East in the early '70's: The Center for Self Directed Learning. In the Center I wrote a bill with other students that we watched pass through the Illinois Legislature. I received a B.A.in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.A. from the University of Chicago - School of Social Service Administration. I worked in the field of Aging for 10 years and was the director of one of four State model projects on Elder Abuse (in the community) that developed the Elder Abuse system in Illinois through the Department on Aging.
• Who was your sponsor?
George Carpenter. He convinced me that Wilmette Harbor was the best club when I met him at a Chamber of Commerce dinner in 2003.
• How do you pitch Rotary ?
I tell people that Rotary is an amazing service organization dedicated to helping local, national and international organizations and people in need, and that we have almost single handedly helped to wipe out polio in the world. We are an organization that knows no boundaries.
• What aspect of Rotary makes you passionate to be involved?
Meeting so many different people who are committed to making this world a better place. Receiving Rotarian of the Year was a big honor