Hinsdale Magazine June 2021 by Hinsdale Magazine Group

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FATHER FIGURES Tribute to Dads

Sudhir Ravi’s

Hope for India as Covid-19 Rages

Armed Forces Day Golf Tee Times

Meteorologist Tracy Butler Hinsdale Magazine Decade of Publishing

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LETTER from THE PUBLISHER

HINSDALE MAGAZINE CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF PUBLISHING This issue marks ten years in publishing news and information about you and your neighbors in Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Burr Ridge and Oak Brook.

You will learn how a few dads (and moms) got together so their sons could continue to play football despite the pandemic; how other dads were so inspired by their fathers, that they turned to public service. Another dad, caring enough about his children’s education, has become involved with the local school board. You will read about the inside story of the “Father of Oak Brook,” Paul Butler, and how he went about creating a wonderful village in which to live, work, shop, dine and be entertained.

It has been our privilege to bring you stories of success, good works and all the reasons, year in and year out, why all of us are so fortunate to live in this wonderful country of ours, and to live in one of its most attractive areas. Over these many editions, certainly there are some favorite articles that you remember. We have a limited number of copies of back issues going back to our beginning. Go to www. hinsdalemag.com, and flip through our digital magazines since we first laughed our electronic platform. If you find an article and would like to purchase a copy of the print edition, please send your name, address and the month and year of the issue(s).

HINSDALE’S FIRST MAGAZINE June/July 2021 $5 US

OXYGEN

for LIFE

This month is particularly noteworthy. In May, we dedicated the issue as a “Tribute to Moms.” Many of you + remarked that it was nice to see so many women doing so well at home and out of the home in so many different ways. This month is about honoring dads. The section starts off with a moving tribute by our contributing writer Jim Fannin to his dad. FATHER FIGURES Tribute to Dads

You’ll read an inspiring story of Sudhir Ravi of Hinsdale, whose company makes large, military-grade, self-generating oxygen machines. Just as his firm took charge of this endeavor in April, his homeland of India experienced a terrible spike in the COVID-19 pandemic, which has engulfed the nation’s hospitals. Ravi has been able to help immediately with his oxygen machines.

HinsdaleMag.com | HINSDALE MAGAZINE

Sudhir Ravi’s

We attended the annual Armed Forces Day celebration in Burr Ridge on May 15. In a memorable address, Marine Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi asked those attending to remember not only the sacrifices of veterans of the past, but also the soldiers in active duty today.

Hope for India as Covid-19 Rages

In our Community Scene, we bring you the good news of how the Hinsdale Junior Woman’s Club found a way to enjoy their “Platinum Unplugged” benefit in-person. Four groups of 50 at a time enjoyed live entertainment at Burdi Clothing on April 24.

Armed Forces Day Golf Tee Times

As we all know, dads have to be many things: a parent, a breadwinner, a business or community leader, a role model, a coach and a disciplinarian. Being a parent, of course, is number one. Sometimes, dads can even be heroes.

Speaking of the name Butler, we put the spotlight on Tracy Butler, the longest running female meteorologist on Chicago television.

SERVING HINSDALE, BURR RIDGE, CLARENDON HILLS & OAK BROOK

Meteorologist Tracy Butler

Hinsdale Magazine Decade of Publishing

Now, that we’re getting out and about, please vote for your BEST of Winnners for 2021. Perhaps you have been pleasantly surprised at how one of your favorites has successfully adapted their services or products. Maybe you have discovered a new business. Share your choices and tell your fellow readers how and where you are enjoying yourselves these days. Here’s to the next ten years!

Scott Jonlich Founder & Publisher sjonlich@hinsdalemag.com

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CONTENTS 10 PUBLISHER’S LETTER

16 COVER STORY

Fathers Figures Honor Your Dad Each Day 16 Sudhir Ravi 18 Perfect Pass 22 Jeff Waters 24 Tom Van Winkle 26 Joe Lizzadro 28 Dave McGowan 30 Braden Waverley 32

Adam Andrzejewski 34 Dr. Peter Harnois 36 Paul Butler 38

44 COMMUNITY SCENE

Celebration of Armed Forces Day in Burr Ridge

50 MEDIA

Meteorologist Tracy Butler

56 GOLF

Tee Time

58 GIVING BACK

Hinsdale Historical Society Women’s Board’s Kitchen Walk

62 GIVING BACK

Platinum Unplugged gala

64 BUILDERS

MK Construction

62 18

ON THE COVER: Sudhir Ravi: Hope for India as Covid 19 Rages

FOR THE LATEST NEWS, HAPPENINGS AND PHOTOS, VISIT WWW.HINSDALEMAG.COM 12

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Hinsdale Magazine, Inc. 3 Grant Square, #201 Hinsdale, IL 60521 630-655-3400 www.HinsdaleMag.com Serving Hinsdale, Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills and Oak Brook. No person, organization or publication can copy or re-produce the content in this magazine or any part of this publication without a written consent from the publisher. The publisher, authors, contributors and designers reserve their rights with regards to copyright of their work. Hinsdale Magazine, Inc. assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information. The information contained about each individual, event or organization has been provided by such individual, event organizers or organization. The opinion expressed in each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Hinsdale Magazine, Inc. Comments are welcome, but they should be on-topic and well-expressed. Copyright ©2021 Hinsdale Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Hinsdale Magazine | Father Figures

Honor Your Dad Each Day

BY JIM FANNIN 16

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ames Edward Fannin was born in poverty in the Appalachian Mountains of southeastern Kentucky. He ran four miles round-trip to school. Money was scarce. Even though his clothes were hand-me-downs, they were always pressed and clean. At 5’9” tall he was a giant among his peers by always exuding confidence and optimism. Good looks were his gift and he wore it well. Determination was his sidekick, as he grew into the man he would become. Later in his life, he became my father. Where he was born and raised makes me tear up when I think of his existence in those harsh conditions. However, my dad never looked back on his past as a handicap. He was my hero. Although I grew to be four inches taller, I always looked up to him. He never uttered a negative word that found my ears. He never gossiped. He never spread rumors. I never knew him to tell a lie. These things I learned from my father. Thanks Dad.

James Fannin wrote on a legal pad every day of his adult life. He was an uneducated wordsmith. My penmanship and fondness for the written word was his doing. A yellow legal pad is near me at all times. Writing for this magazine would have made him proud. Thank you, Dad. He threw a baseball with me every day the weather was nice. He was my biggest fan. His love for sports became my love. We listened to the University of Kentucky basketball games, Cincinnati Reds broadcasts and watched the Cleveland Browns every chance we

My father was a kind man. He was polite, gentle, and considerate. I never heard him raise his voice. I hope I have a little bit of those traits. Don’t get me wrong. My father was tough. He was hillbilly-tough. He fought seven professional fights and rode bulls for money in rodeos in Texas. He worked in the fist-fighting tough shipyards as a laborer in Galveston, Texas and Newport News, Virginia and he never backed down from a challenge. Never. I get that tenacity from him. The word “optimism,” which is both literally and figuratively at the center of the word S.C.O.R.E.®, was my father’s influence. In 1974 when my S.C.O.R.E.® Success System (thought management) was created, my father was the president of his local Optimist Club. Optimism was my only option, as the cornerstone of my program.

“Although I grew to be four inches taller, I always looked up to him. He never uttered a negative word that found my ears. He never gossiped. He never spread rumors. I never knew him to tell a lie. These things I learned from my father. Thanks Dad.”

My father worked multiple jobs to put my mom through college. He never complained. He even helped her make an A in trigonometry and this was without a high school education. How he figured it out, I’ll never know. We sat in the front row as my mom crossed the stage to receive her Masters degree in nursing. He was so proud. He was tireless in putting my mom through school. In fact, he was tireless in everything he did. I’ve always mirrored his work ethic. It has served me well. My father was brilliant. I have seen him finish the NY Times crossword puzzle in one sitting. Every space was filled in. All were correct. “How did you know the sun god was called Ra?” I would ask. His reply was, “you didn’t learn that in college?” He read a lot. There was always a book by my father’s nightstand. I know my mind was cultivated partly from his DNA and partly from witnessing his thirst for knowledge. Thanks Dad.

- JIM FANNIN

could get. My first Major League Baseball game was with my father in old Crosley Field in Cincinnati. I love sports. It’s a passion. Sports became our life-long bond. Thank you for the gift of sports. Although he couldn’t afford to travel with me to tennis tournaments, he encouraged me to be the best I could be. He knew that it was my mind that would set me apart. His insight into the mental side of sports set me on a path that I still enjoy. He had read every book about and by the great Kentucky-born prophet and psychic, Edgar Cayce. Cayce has been called the Father of the New Age Movement. My father turned me on to this thinking at an early age. Thank you for your unwavering inspiration.

Today, I always dress nice. I wear the best clothes I can find, as looking sharp is the only option. This is to honor my father, who was the bestdressed man I’ve ever met. I hope I’m the man you believed I could become.

Honor your Dad this Father’s Day. Acorns don’t fall far from the tree. Hug the tree on this special Sunday. All my earthly possessions would be discarded, if I could be with you one more day. I miss you very much and smile fondly when I think of you. I love you. Your son, Jim ■

HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

Hinsdale Magazine | Father Figures

SUDHIR RAVI Delivers Life Saving Oxygen

Fighting Covid-19 and its Variants Raging Over His Homeland India BY SCOTT JONLICH

HinsdaleMag.com | HINSDALE MAGAZINE

insdale resident Sudhir Ravi is racing against time to deliver life-saving oxygen to pandemic victims on a very large scale to various cities across India, as dangerous Covid-19 and its variants ravage the population. The Major Problems When you contract Covid-19, or variants, your breathing can be seriously affected. Providing oxygen to breathe is critical, or people die. Just now, an aggressive variant strain of Covid-19 is spreading through the population of India very quickly. Hospitals and India’s public health infrastructure is overwhelmed, not to mention the general infrastructure for much of India itself. Deaths are climbing dramatically. People are lined up to get personal oxygen cylinders that they can use at home, but the demand is outstripping the supply. Compounding the problem is a black fungus mold that people are contracting.

Indian executives and business people all over the world have joined forces to do whatever they can, as fast as they can, to provide funding, equipment, and knowledge to help the

would be embarking on a humanitarian mission when private equity firm TJM Capital Partners, where he is an operating partner, purchased a company just this April that makes the very machines hospitals desperately need: large capacity, self-generating oxygen machines. These units are large enough to provide about 6 tons of life-saving oxygen per day and can serve 25,00050,000 patients over a 6-month period.

“From the dedication of the employees in Riverside, California, who worked around the clock to make the oxygen machines for folks they will never meet, to the folks who financially sponsored the initiative, I will always cherish the uniqueness of fellow Americans as the most generous and charitable society on the planet.”

For perspective, while 40%+ of the US population has been vaccinated, only 3% have been vaccinated in India. Fortunately, the US just announced it is committing vaccines on a large scale. India is clearly in a major crisis.

- SUDHIR RAVI

millions in India as they try to cope. One Major Solution: Large, SelfGenerating Oxygen Machines Little did Sudhir Ravi realize he

Immediately after hearing of the situation, Sudhir with the support of TJM’s General Partner located 11 such industrialstrength machines in his company’s US and Germany locations, which were quickly dispatched with the help of FedEx and their efficient end-to-end delivery system. Within 22 days of learning of the crisis, these machines were installed and are generating oxygen right now at each hospital location. The hospitals were sourced through word-of-mouth and social media by Sudhir and his LinkedIn network. The hospitals are in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Vijaywada, Tirupathi, and Bangalore. All costs were sponsored by a consortium of Indian philanthropists, again sourced through social media and were provided free to the hospitals. Given the insatiable demand for these units, Sudhir is shipping the machines to India from the US as fast as they can be made, which can take as long as 30 days per unit.

THESE DOCS 500 UNITS PRODUCE 500 LITERS PER MINUTE AND PROVIDE OXYGEN FOR A 250 BED HOSPITAL.

All of this extraordinary effort is not surprising. When Sudhir was growing up in India, his father, a farmer by profession, taught him the value of hard work, community, and family values through example. A quote that Ravi says inspires him even today from

Continued on next page HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

Hinsdale Magazine | Father Figures Continued from previous page his father, is one about persistence and commitment: “Crops don’t care if you are having a bad day, you have to show up and water them or they die. Feed them daily and the whole family and community eat.” When asked about what lessons he learned from this humanitarian effort, he acknowledges the generosity of the people of his adopted homeland, USA: “From the dedication of the employees in Riverside, California, who worked around the clock to make the oxygen machines for folks they will never meet, to the folks who financially sponsored the initiative, I will always cherish the uniqueness of fellow Americans as the most generous and charitable society on the planet.” ■

SPRING BREAK ‘21 LEFT TO RIGHT: BHAVANI, KAVYA, VIKAS, SUDHIR, AND AKSHAY, FRONT

SEVERAL DOCS 500'S BEING SHIPPED FROM RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA TO BANGALORE, INDIA 20

HinsdaleMag.com | HINSDALE MAGAZINE

Dr. Rachel Bognet

Dr. Christina Steil

We Keep Your Skin Looking Its Best Dermatologists Christina Steil and Rachel Bognet, and their staff can help you and your skin, no matter your age. Providing the appropriate cosmetic and medical skin care to patients suffering from various skin ailments, they help you achieve a more beautiful, healthy, natural look. If you are younger, they emphasize prevention with an individualized skincare regimen. For middle years, a combination of techniques is used to both prevent and correct aging problems. More mature age groups have the most skin issues such as dryness, thinning, wrinkling, loss of elasticity and spottiness - and some of those spots can even be skin cancers. The team encourages these patients to have a skin cancer check prior to treatments to cosmetically treat their skin. At age 65, team member Kathy Mandarino, RN is a great example of how taking proper care of your skin throughout your lifetime will prevent

the typical changes expected. Kathy, who is fair-skinned, started using sunscreen in her late 20’s and skin care products in her early thirties. In fact, when she sent her daughters off to college, she sent vitamin c serums with them. She has been getting Intense Pulse Light treatments (IPL/BBL) bi-annually since age 46, and has treated patients with the IPL/BBL devices just as long. As CSC Dermatology has adopted the latest and most advanced skin care devices and treatments, she added new treatments to her regimen.

proof that treatments, combined with healthy skin care habits, do work. Treatment can be started at any age, and with the right program, you too will have your best skin. You are never too young or too old to take care of your skin. Drs. Steil and Bognet and the staff at CSC Dermatology look forward to helping you keep your skin beautiful.

Favorites include the CoolMini and Ultherapy that colleague Amber Maloni treated her with, to maintain her jawline and avoid developing a double chin; the Silhouette Instalift that Dr. Bognet treated her with, to lift her jowls and the fillers done by Dr. Steil to maintain her natural lift and volume without being overfilled. Kathy’s treatment plan has helped her to keep her beautiful skin and is

Kathleen Mandarino, RN, BSN

Locations: 125 W. 2nd St, Hinsdale 5157 Main, Suite 205, Downers Grove Phone: 630 455 0045 Web: cscdermatology.com

Hinsdale Magazine | Father Figures

Perfect Pass Dads Unite for Youth Football BY LARRY ATSEFF PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES BRADY MASON BRADY RUNNING TO SCORE DURING A GAME THIS SPRING 22

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very year, thousands of families across the western suburbs enroll their boys in youth tackle football as part of the Bill George Youth Football League. They are taught by their Dads who have played college and even pro football, as well as other Dads and other members of the community who just want to help out. This has been going on for years, until last year when the pandemic hit, and everything got cancelled. Knowing the players would be disappointed, five Dads and one Mom decided to join forces to keep many of the teams playing, including James Brady, Hinsdale, Brian Lansu, Downers Grove, Brandon Lane and John Herrara, Wheaton, Mario Florio, Lombard, and Kelly Grigus, LaGrange.

In Hinsdale, players from the local youth football program—the Hinsdale Falcons— combined with St. Isaac Jogues players and together, like all the other teams, they practiced on a regular basis and then each played a full schedule of eight 7-on-7 passing scrimmages last Fall. This spring, Illinois government officials finally gave the “green light” to allow boys to participate in traditional tackle football. So once again, the Dads and Mom behind

together as many Falcons and St. Isaac Jogues players as possible with the goal of preparing every single boy willing to participate for high school football. And to help, quite a few Dads and other volunteers in the community stepped up to help coach the Hinsdale teams, including quite a few former professional and college football players. In particular, the Hinsdale coaches who played in college include James Brady, Devin Brady, Kris Bjorson, Jeff Lesniewicz, Matt Riordan, and Jacob White, and the coaches who played in the National Football League include Pete Bercich, Jason Buck, and Mike McCurry. Other Dads coaching include Dave Alessi, Joe Corcoran, Jim Deering, Dan Devine, Mike Murray, and Pat McInerney.

“While this ‘bridge’ effort turned out to be a lot of extra work, everyone stuck with the program. And, in fact, more Dads than usual have turned out. It’s what Dads (and Moms) do. It has been worth the effort.”

They figured out how to start up a 7-on-7 passing league that would meet Covid-19 protocols, have legal standing/proper insurance, provide uniforms, complete with practice fields, and play a full schedule of games at Montini Catholic High School and Immaculate Conception Catholic Prep fields through last fall. The league, called the West Suburban Football Club, focused on preparing 7th and 8th grade boys for high school football. According to Brady, it was amazing to see how many sons signed up as well as how many Dads signed up to coach.

- JAMES BRADY

the West Suburban Football Club stepped up to organize a tackle football season for 8th graders in the western suburbs. In a few short weeks, countless volunteers came together and 18 teams were formed (including two teams from Hinsdale) to participate in a six-game tackle football season. In Hinsdale, team organizers James Brady and Kristen Kruse worked to bring

There is hope that both Falcons players and St. Isaac Jogues players will continue to practice together this summer and play in games together this fall.

Practices are starting up and the league is putting the call out for signing up. Go to https://www. hinsdalefalcons.com/ to learn more and follow the teams when the games startup. Brady sums it up this way. “While this ‘bridge’ effort turned out to be a lot of extra work, everyone stuck with the program. And, in fact, more Dads than usual have turned out. It’s what Dads (and Moms) do. It has been worth the effort.” ■

JIM DEERING AND JAMES BRADY COACHING THE HINSDALE TEAM THIS SPRING HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

Hinsdale Magazine | Father Figures

SON, HAYDEN(20) UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO; FATHER, JEFF, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO ALUM; GRADUATE DEAN(18), UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, FL BOUND; MOTHER, COURTNEY, BRADLEY UNIV. ALUM; DAUGHTER, NATALIE(15), INCOMING SOPHOMORE, HINSDALE CENTRAL

PASSION for EDUCATION Jeff Waters Joins District 86 School Board BY LARRY ATSEFF 24

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ait a minute. You already may know Jeff. He may have knocked on your door urging you to Vote Yes on the D-86 facilities referendum in 2019. You listened, and the referendum ultimately passed. Or, you may have seen him on a YouTube video during one of several Town Hall candidate forums explaining why you should vote for him to be on the District 86 School Board. You listened, and, indeed, he is now on the board. It is clear Jeff wants to better an already great education for students in D-86. His passion comes from a couple of key sources. First, when he was growing up in Naperville: “I got my work ethic from my Dad, who spent his entire career in the insurance industry after proudly serving our country for four years in the Pacific theater during WWII. He ascended the corporate ladder at CNA Insurance where he retired in 1997.” “My Mom instilled the entrepreneurial spirit in all of us. She got into real estate in the early 1980's and became a top realtor in Naperville, where we grew up. They both taught us that hard work guaranteed nothing, but without it, success could be elusive.”

Hinsdale resident Kari Galassi. “Kari recruited me in the late summer of 2018 to foot canvas the District and go door to door with other community members to encourage voters to pass the November, 2018 referendum.” “Following the failed facilities referendum in November, 2018, Kari then created a movement with the ‘VOTE YES’ committee that spread like wildfire across the District. Kari was gracious enough to include me in the effort and the toil of hundreds of other volunteers resulting in a decisive passage for the D86 referendum in April, 2019. Thanks to Kari’s leadership and smarts, we were successful despite efforts of some to try to mislead voters into needless concern about increased taxes that would never materialize. We overcame objections

cycle of 2018-2019. An upgrade to the existing remote ‘Zoom’ platform seemed both obvious and necessary to myself and so many others in the community which would increase total instruction time and provide a more collaborative learning environment for the students and the teachers. The cost was minimal and the resources were both available and plentiful through a few different arms of the D86 financial ecosystem. On behalf of the community, I encouraged the Board to make an upgrade but the topic never made the agenda. This galvanized me to run for the Board of Education in the April, 2021 election.” When asked what’s next for him now that he is on the school board, he replied, “I may be new to the District 86 school Board, but long on interest and passion to serve in the most appropriate fashion to best mirror and represent the collective demand of the district. The D86 equation has multiple variables, including residents, teachers, faculty, staff and administration.”

“I may be new to the District 86 school Board, but long on interest and passion to serve in the most appropriate fashion to best mirror and represent the collective demand of the district.”

“My parents raised my older brother Frank, my twin sister, Jenny and I on a commitment to family, faith, friends and community. Among the so many great lessons they taught us, ‘You learn more with your ears than with your mouth’. That lesson has stuck with me and I've dubbed 'Shut up and listen' as a personal mantra to foster cohesiveness and drive productive communication with others. That concept has served me very well in business and when working with people in various capacities. It empowers those you encounter and in so doing enables you, certainly, to learn new things, but also offers you the opportunity to amend your position with new information.” A second influence was fellow

- JEFF WATERS, District 86 School Board member

and our effort resulted in the second highest rate of passage in the last 25 years for any school referendum in the state of Illinois. Voter participation for the April, 2019 referendum increased 180% from 15% to 43%.” “Subsequently, seeing what hard work can do, this year, Peggy James and I ran together for the D86 school Board and again enjoyed success at the polls from an outpouring of support from the residents of District 86.” When asked why he decided to run for District 86 School Board, he replied:

“The variable which I assign the greatest coefficient to is the 4,000 students in the District. Keeping them front and center in my mind allows me to allocate my energies appropriately to best serve the kids.”

“It is both a pleasure and an honor and I approach it with the utmost sincerity and the highest regard. STUDENTS FIRST!” When asked how he has been a good Dad, Jeff says, “An interesting statistic I came across cements my commitment to spending as much time as possible with my kids. Approximately 90% of all the time parents spend with their children is the time shared before the kids reach the age of 18. The investment we make in terms of the quality time we spend with our kids now will pay dividends in the future and hopefully change that staggering statistic, markedly, and to the downside. Family First!” ■

“I made the decision to run following the completion of the 2019-2020 school year. I became increasingly familiar with the machinations of the D86 School Board during the referendum HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

Hinsdale Magazine | Father Figures

LAURA, JESSICA AND TOM VAN WINKLE

HELPING the UNDERDOG Tom Van Winkle Leads Hinsdale Humane Society

rom working in corporate America to leading a nonprofit organization, Tom Van Winkle, CEO/Executive Director of Hinsdale Humane Society (HHS), has followed his passion

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BY LARRY ATSEFF

into animal welfare, and he’s not stopping until the “harder to adopt” animals have all been helped. His parents, a colleague, and his wife are the driving forces behind getting him

to where he is today. “I wouldn’t have had the courage to make the decisions I made, without my upbringing and the guidance I had,” said Van Winkle. “From a professional standpoint,

Lauren Malmberg was the most influential person in my career,” said Tom. “She was County Administrator for the Peoria Animal Welfare Society and she allowed me to learn from her. I volunteered for seven years and picked up so much information.” Tom wouldn’t be leading HHS today without the help of his wife. “Taking a job with a small nonprofit takes a lot of support,” said Tom. “Laura could have pointed out that it was risky, but she didn’t. She supported my dream and assumed the role of providing the majority of income for our family.” His motivation has always been to help as many animals as possible and he is relentless in his pursuit of innovating new ways to support homeless pets. “The opportunity I saw at HHS really came from the vision of the Board of Directors.” Tom had been in jobs where he wanted to do more in order to help more animals, but the Board didn’t share his vision. HHS’ Board had already shown their desire to be more impactful by setting the purchase of a new building in motion. “I was lucky enough to come in as the purchase crossed the finish line, which allowed me to focus on a new product idea I’ve been developing. It’s a technology platform that allows animal shelters everywhere to work more collaboratively to save lives.” While COVID set the software development back a little, it has not stopped progress on that dream for Tom.

Tom arrived in 2017. “Fundraising has been, and will always be a challenge,” said Tom. “We want to break out of the fundraising cycle. Engaging with supporters at all donation levels and through multiple channels will always be part of our strategy because it doesn’t just raise money, but it also creates relationships.” Conscious Capitalism has been on Tom’s radar for some time. “I believe the way to make Conscious Capitalism even stronger is by opening up conversation between the for-profit business and non-profit communities. By finding the mutual benefit to both parties, we create a long term pattern of success.” Both sides tend to see Conscious Capitalism only on the surface where one supports the other. “Nonprofits can actually provide great value to our partners and it all starts

and resources. “There are thousands of animal welfare organizations in the US, so finding help for the “easy to adopt” animals is not difficult. What is difficult is finding agencies with the resources and desire to take on the challenging animals. Whether it is a medical or training issue, so many animals would make great pets if we could just get them the help they need. I want HHS to lead this effort and we will with the help of our supporters.” The shelter recently received support for harder to adopt animals in the form of a fund from one of Hinsdale’s own. The Zach Leathers Emergency Medical Fund carries on the memory of Zachary Leathers, a Hinsdale Central graduate who always cared deeply for animals. The fund established in his name provides vital care for special needs animals allowing them to live full and happy lives.

“I believe the way to make Conscious Capitalism even stronger is by opening up conversation between the for-profit business and nonprofit communities. By finding the mutual benefit to both parties, we create a long term pattern of success.”

Another area of focus for Tom is a heightened awareness of the human-animal bond. The stronger this bond, the more pets will stay in their homes and be adopted. “We recently lost a true animaladvocate hero with the passing of Hinsdale’s BJ Chimenti. Her legacy will live on with the BJ Chimenti Angel Pets for Veterans. Thanks to her, and her husband Norm Chimenti, this fund will help nurture the human animal bond and provide ongoing moral, financial and educational support to our military veterans and active duty servicemen and women.

The next generation of strong, independent, caring Van Winkles, - TOM VAN WINKLE, is Tom’s daughter Jessica. “I always CEO/Executive Director of Hinsdale Humane Society wanted her to know that she has Carrying his dreams to the my support in anything she wants finish line has been a long time coming. with a conversation to understand what to do. I gave her guidance and talked “I entered the working world at 22 in the would help and why it is a win-win.” through situations with her so she wasn’t banking industry in Chicago and later Under Tom’s leadership, HHS has in the dark when making decisions, but moved to Caterpillar in Peoria. These doubled its number of adoptions, started were, and still are, very strong companies a low-cost pet clinic to help families care if after we talked, she wanted to pursue a that provide great career opportunities, for the medical needs of their animals, certain road, then she has always had my so my first career hurdle was an internal increased the number of HHS job support to accomplish her dreams.” one: decide if I wanted to give up a opportunities and expanded its visibility With so much groundwork laid and so great career path to follow my dream.” and influence in the sheltering world many more plans to facilitate, motivation Once that decision was made, he had to while working alongside other agencies is key, and for Tom it all comes back convince a shelter Board of Directors that with a mantra of “we are all stronger to the mission that brought him here. someone with a business background, together.” “What keeps me going is that every time but no formal shelter experience, was we adopt an animal, there is a waiting The next challenge for shelters is list of other animals in need to take its worth a shot. going to be helping harder to adopt Growth at HHS has been steady since animals that require special funding place.” ■ HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

Hinsdale Magazine | Father Figures

Cobbler to Chairman of the Board BY KRISTI SMITH

THE FLORENTINE MOSAIC OF JOSEPH LIZZADRO SR. IS MADE OF 1,400 PIECES OF STONE. IT IS BASED ON THE ORIGINAL PHOTO TAKEN IN 1967.

n honoring Dads who were not only great Dads, but were influential beyond their family, we want you to know about Joe Lizzadro. He arrived in the United States from his native Italy in the early 1900s. He traveled with his father, a shoemaker, who set up a cobbler’s shop in Chicago, Illinois. Young Joseph worked in the cobbler shop and attended school. He learned English and became a U.S. citizen. His father soon brought the rest of his family to the United States. In 1916, Joseph took a job with Meade Electric Company as a laborer and began what would become a lifelong career in electrical contracting. Meade operated a retail appliance store and converted gas lighting to electric. Through hard work and dedication, Joseph was promoted and became a company stockholder. After the death of the company’s founder in 1929, Joseph rose to Chairman of the Board of Meade Electric. Today, family members continue in his footsteps at Meade.

Business and Family Man Joseph married Mary Sandretto (19102001) in 1932. Mary was born in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan, known as The Copper Country. 28

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Joseph and Mary had six children. The growing family moved from Maywood to Elmhurst, Illinois, in 1939. Joseph enjoyed family trips to the Keweenaw and began collecting stones there, typically Lake Superior agate, thomsonite, and datolite. He cut and polished them, making jewelry for friends and family. At work in the early 1940s, Joseph noted the poor condition of traffic signals in Northeastern Illinois and, in his enterprising fashion, proposed to maintain them for the state. Officials accepted his offer and more state contracts followed for street lighting systems and stormwater pumping stations. With these and other contracts with steel and oil companies, Meade Electric prospered and so did Joseph.

Lapidary Collector Joseph gained appreciation for the unique characteristics of the mineral world as a lapidary hobbyist and collector. He especially loved to cut and polish jade. Joseph acquired his first Chinese jade carving, a small hanging vase, in the late 1930s, intending to cut it into pieces for jewelry. At that time, it was nearly impossible

for lapidary hobbyists to obtain rough jade. Carvings, which were plentiful and fairly inexpensive, were often purchased and fashioned into something new for the sake of the hobby. Joseph’s respect for the original carver’s ability overwhelmed his desire to recut the jade. Thus, the Lizzadro Collection began. Joseph added other carvings to his collection and also items of amber, ivory, coral, agate, and gemstones. As his collection grew, his dream was to display the beauty of stone and share it with others. Through an agreement with the City of Elmhurst and Elmhurst Park District, Joseph built his museum in the Wilder Park. His dream was realized on November 4, 1962, when the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art opened its doors to the public. Joseph continued to collect beautiful works of lapidary art until his death in 1972. Due to space and facility limitations in Elmhurst, the family decided to move the Museum to a newly renovated building in Oak Brook. The Museum reopened in the fall of 2019, at the corner of Jorie Boulevard and Kensington Road. The Lizzadro family continues to carry on the Museum’s mission of sharing with others the beauty of stone today. ■

Hinsdale Magazine | Father Figures

DAVE AND HIS WIFE, MARY, WITH THEIR GRANDSONS, JUDE AND EMMETT.

A STEADY HAND Dave McGowan Guides The DuPage Foundation BY LARRY ATSEFF

ommunity foundations like DuPage Foundation are defined as grantmaking public charities that improve lives of people in defined geographic areas by connecting donors with effective nonprofits.

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Dave McGowan, for 23 years, has led DuPage Foundation to become one of the most productive links between donors and nonprofits in the Chicago area. You might ask, why does there even have to be a go-between from donors to nonprofits? Why don’t donors just get

on the phone to a nonprofit and say “I want to give you some money”. Dave smiles and says, “Well, that’s what many people do. They have a favorite charity and they have wise counsel and they know just what to do.” However, there are some individual, family, or company donors who just

don’t know much about charities or local needs, but want to make substantial contributions as good citizens. There are others who don’t have a lot of money, but would still like to give, and wonder if they can make a difference. There are still others who can contribute something besides money, but don’t know to which charities they should offer their skills or services for the greatest benefit. For all those reasons and more, DuPage Foundation has become useful to both donors and nonprofits. Over the years, Dave has worked with a board, and now a staff of 12, alongside 150 or so dedicated volunteers who are experts in fund raising, managing organizations, wealth management and other areas that can benefit nonprofits as well as donors. Combined, they have extraordinary expertise in the areas where DuPage Foundation makes grants: health and human services, education, arts and culture, environment, and animal welfare.

Crain’s Business has recognized DuPage Foundation as a top 25 foundation, holding more than $110 million in assets, and which has distributed more than $55 million to DuPage county non-profits since its founding 35 years ago.

been extremely fortunate to work with knowledgeable and dedicated people to connect donors and nonprofits in productive ways for the past 23 years.” (Dave is a certified fund raising executive, and, in 2009, was given the West Suburban Philanthropic Network Distinguished Service Award.) As his three adult children have put it, he has also been a great Dad: Rose DeCanniere: “You are the best mentor and role model for living life with love, empathy, compassion and fun. You are always there for us to listen and share words of wisdom. I can count on you to push me and encourage me when I need it. You believe in us even when we don’t believe in ourselves! You are also very fair and remain calm through challenging times. Finally, you are very generous and always give us all of your love, time and energy. Love you!”

“We know the nonprofits in the county. We have an excellent vantage point. We know how they operate and we understand their needs. We convene nonprofits so they can collaborate rather than compete in offering services or seeking funding.”

As he puts it, “We know the nonprofits in the county. We have an excellent vantage point. We know how they operate and we understand their needs. We convene nonprofits so they can collaborate rather than compete in offering services or seeking funding.” In the greater Hinsdale area, DuPage Foundation assists groups such as: • Assistance League of Chicagoland West • Candor Health Education • First Folio Theater • Graue Mill • HCS Family Services • Hinsdale Historical Society • Hinsdale Humane Society • Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art • LOVE Christian Clearinghouse • Mayslake Village • Salt Creek Ballet • The Community House • Wellness House

“We also know major donors and their interests. We can help them combine resources with other donors who have similar interests to make a greater impact than working alone. This goes for small as well as large donors.”

- DAVE MCGOWAN,

When COVID-19 hit, the Foundation was able to quickly create its COVID-19 Response Fund, raising and granting nearly $1.8 million to help organizations that had been affected by the pandemic. It seems Dave was destined to work in the nonprofit arena. He says, “When I was growing up, I was surrounded by a closeknit family of parents, grandparents, and other relatives who were very involved in charities. I remember collecting for UNICEF on Halloween and I got pledges for participating in the 30-mile hunger marches in the early 70s. My dad took my brothers and me to wheelchair basketball games and he coached us in basketball at St. Mary’s in Downers Grove. My family and faith formation influenced me, so giving and volunteering just came naturally. Those experiences prepared me for my 40-year career in philanthropy. I have

Sean McGowan: “You have done everything from planning to providing space for us to continue spending time together as a family. You want us all to stay connected and have a great time.”

Kathleen McGowan: “You are the first person I go to with a problem-you have a solution or a way to make me feel better about the issue. You are a great role model for success so you help guide us to do our best. While you are very successful, you are also humble and always seeking to help others. You are loving, caring and fun. You are also very reliable and a great planner. Basically, you are the best!!! Love you.” ■

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Hinsdale Magazine | Father Figures

COMMUNITY FOCUSED Waverley Family Has an Impact BY LARRY ATSEFF

BEN (21), ALEGRA (18), BRADEN, ALICE & WALTER (16) WAVERLY. 32

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eet Braden Waverley: A Hinsdale dad who is all about volunteering to make Hinsdale a better place to raise a family. It’s a past time that is not lost on any member of his family and it’s one that helps his family bond to each other and to Hinsdale in general. With wife, Alice, the Waverleys have called Hinsdale home since 2001 and have raised three children here. Ben, who will be starting his senior year studying computer engineering at University of Wisconsin- Madison in the fall. Alegra, graduating this spring from Hinsdale Central and following her big brother up to the UW to pursue a Bachelors of Science in journalism. And Walter, a Hinsdale Central sophomore just earning his driver’s license with a plan to continue the family tradition of volunteering and giving back with his new driving skills. Dad Braden serves on DuPage Foundation’s investment committee where he volunteers his financial skills to help the Foundation manage its $110 million in assets in order to make grants to area not-forprofits, including Willowbrook Corner Coalition, HCS Family Services, The Community House, Hinsdale Humane Society and much more. This service dovetailed with Braden’s 11 years as a board member at The Community House, including two as chair, and his service on the District 181 Foundation board.

ALEGRA, ALICE & BEN DROPPING OFF NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS AND CASH DONATIONS AT THE HCS FAMILY SERVICES FOOD PANTRY AT ANNE M. JEANS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

Braden and Alice have become role models for their kids. When COVID hit in the spring of 2020, all three kids chipped in to start a food drive. Within two weeks, they had collected 42 bags of groceries and $700 in donations, a sum that was matched with a contribution

at Hinsdale Central where she tracks service hours for 250+ members. Walter is a member of the Junior Board at HCS Family Services where he volunteers by packing bags of groceries and distributing them to clients. While in high school at St. Ignatius, Ben also set the tone for his younger siblings by tutoring fourth graders at Willowbrook Corner where he enjoyed playing games and kicking soccer balls with his students after lessons were completed.

“From our lives in Hinsdale and the service work to so many worthy organizations, we only wish we could do more. But most of all, we are most grateful for the many friendships we have formed in the area, connections we look forward to maintaining for a lifetime.”

Alice serves in an appointed role as chair of the Hinsdale Parks & Recreation Commission. She also has enjoyed a long history of volunteer and leadership roles within the area’s parent teacher organizations, Hinsdale Junior Woman’s Club, and various committees for human services organizations. Most recently, Alice joined the Assistance League of Chicagoland West to help that organization transform lives by providing literacy education and winter clothing to young children in the area, equipping kitchens for families transitioning from homelessness and funding scholarship opportunities for students at College of DuPage.

- WAVERLEY FAMILY

from DuPage Foundation in honor of their dad’s service. Alice said her kids were deeply moved by the long lines at the area’s food pantries and the dire situation so many found themselves in, the result of job loss and shut downs during the pandemic. The kids are following in their parents’ footsteps. Alegra serves as the communications director for Hinsdale Hospital Foundation’s Junior Board and secretary of the National Honor Society

The past eight years have been busy. Not only have Braden and Alice served countless volunteer hours while serving the community through myriad organizations, they’ve just about raised their three teens to responsible adulthood. For Braden, fatherhood come first, volunteer service third, making priority number two his work as chief operating officer at Ray-Allen Inc., an IT asset management software firm. The Waverleys said, “From our lives in Hinsdale and the service work to so many worthy organizations, we only wish we could do more. But most of all, we are most grateful for the many friendships we have formed in the area, connections we look forward to maintaining for a lifetime.” ■

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Hinsdale Magazine | Father Figures

THE ANDRZEJEWSKI FAMILY AT HOME IN HINSDALE CELEBRATING THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING 2021. LEFT TO RIGHT: EMMA, ELLIE, ADAM, KERRY, AND MOLLY.

AMERICAN DEFENDER Adam Andrzejewski’s Transparency Revolution

e recently talked with Adam Andrzejewski (pronounced Angieeff-ski) and his interest in greater transparency in government spending, by establishing his website “Open The Books”. Adam, 51, explains “I’ve always believed in family, faith and small towns. As the oldest of seven children, I grew up in Herscher, a rural farming community a few miles southwest of Kankakee. Working on

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family farms, I developed a strong work ethic by walking beans, detasseling corn, and baling hay.” According to Adam, in 1976 and 1978, his father ran for state representative against George Ryan and in those days, the Kankakee County Republican machine rivaled the Daley machine in Chicago. John Andrzejewski lost those races, but his campaigns instilled in Adam the courage to take on public corruption.

However, first, Andrzejewski established himself as an entrepreneur. It didn’t come easy. As he explains, “There were many nights when I rolled up my coat as a pillow and slept on the office floor while working around the clock.” With his brother, within 10 years, they founded and sold their $20 million publishing company. Since then, Andrzejewski has dedicated his life to public service.

In 2010, when his three daughters were toddlers, he ran for governor of Illinois on a transparency platform, “Every Dime. Online. In Real Time.” After a primary election loss, he didn’t stop, but took Mother Theresa’s advice, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” While it’s not always easy being the only man in the house with three teenage girls, Ellie, Molly, and Emma Kate, he says his girls consider him to be the most positive and supportive dad. Adam has really enjoyed being married to his wife Kerry since 2000 and is proud of the fact that he is very present at home. He says, “Our family dinners are a high priority and an opportunity to communicate a lot of life lessons. We also share a lot of laughs.” However, Kerry and Adam try not to put pressure on the girls. Being an Andrzejewski is pressure enough. As he sees it, the American dream is to have it all – a healthy, happy family, successful business, and a bright future. “But”, as he explains, “I also want to change the world. In 2011, I founded OpenTheBooks.com dedicated to posting all government spending online. Launching in Illinois I posted online every public employee salary and pension record – an historic first. Immediately, the exposure led to grand juries, indictments, and convictions.” “We do this, because it’s your money, and you deserve to see where every dime is spent by your government.” Last year, OpenTheBooks filed 40,000 Freedom of Information Act requests, the most in American history. The effort successfully captured $6 trillion in federal, state, and local government expenditures. It’s the world’s largest database of public-sector spending. “We believe that transparency revolutionizes U.S. public policy and politics.” Andrzejewski explains, “Our group is a non-profit, public charity. Not only do we ‘open the books,’ we audit them, and our investigations make national news: • In 2020, The President’s Budget To Congress cited two of Andrzejewski’s oversight reports. • In 2019, the OpenTheBooks interactive map of human waste in the public way in San Francisco made international news, trended on national Twitter, and helped reframe the debate on the homeless.

ADAM ANDRZEJEWSKI RUNNING THE 2019 CHICAGO MARATHON

• In 2016, Good Morning America and ABC World News Tonight highlighted the group’s investigation that exposed the $20 million high-end luxury art portfolio at Veterans Affairs. Soon after, then-VA Secretary Robert McDonald apologized and stopped the pricey art purchases.” He is proud of saying, “I am spearheading the revolution – that is, the transparency revolution.” ■

• In 2017, at The Wall Street Journal, his group exposed the eight Ivy League colleges who reaped $42 billion in taxpayer subsidies, payments, and tax breaks during a six-year period. This led to a new federal tax on their excessive endowments. HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

Hinsdale Magazine | Father Figures

DR. PETER HARNOIS Dentist Marks Nearly Four Decades In Hinsdale

BY LARRY ATSEFF | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARCELLO RODARTE

ongevity is a key measure of success. In the following Q and A with Dr. Peter Harnois, we find out how he has carried on the tradition started by Dr. Donald Thorne in 1969. This year, Dr. Harnois will mark nearly 40 years of dentistry in Hinsdale. At the same time, he has also been a good dad for his four children, ranging in age from 6 to 23.

How did you decide on dentistry as a career?

Paul Harnois. That man meant everything to me and at the ripe old age of 13 at Hinsdale Junior High when I was in 8th grade in February of 1969, he started my career path. He came home from work one day and said " Son, I want you to pick your future job and career.” I asked. “Ok dad, what are my choices?” At the time I was probably thinking about our next basketball game for school or that cute girl in math class. The 3 choices he gave me were Law, Medicine or Dentistry.

On this Father's Day, I honor my dearly departed father, Trefle

Four months researching The

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later, after Encyclopedia

Britannica, and talking with many friends, I chose dentistry. Dr. Harnois, you have practiced Dentistry for more than 40 years! What are your proudest moments? In early October of 1982 I became an associate of Dr. Donald Thorne. At the time, he was arguably the finest dentist Hinsdale had ever seen. We sat at lunch and he reviewed my resume. I was Class president for 3 years at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, recipient of the College of Dentistry

Award of Merit, and numerous Campus Leadership and Clinical Excellence awards. All of it led him to remark that my credentials were strong and he offered me a position in his practice. Ten years later he took me out for another lunch to congratulate me. He said that the apprentice had surpassed the master and he now considered me to be the stronger, better dentist. Wow! I was taken aback by his comments. He was the finest clinical dentist I had ever seen, let alone work for. In the first 5 years of practicing with Dr. Thorne, I would stand behind him on my days off while he treated his patients. I learned so much that way. He and I traveled together to countless continuing education courses to learn better dentistry together. We had a fantastic relationship and my time with him led me to become the best possible dentist I could ever be. We were partners for 24 years before he retired, and I became the senior partner at Hinsdale Dentistry in 2006. You are the father of four. How has each shaped your life as a father and busy doctor? When my oldest daughter Katherine Grace was born September 30th,1997, my entire life changed in such a powerful direction. Becoming a father for the first time was the greatest moment of my 29 years of life. I had never felt so connected to a person. Those first 3 years of having Grace to myself were so precious. 3 years later Madeleine was born and it was so obvious that she was my daughter. She looked and acted like me with the same open, free, and friendly spirit. Another 3 years passed and my only son Trefle Patrick was born and the heir to my father's name. He became the third Harnois born at Hinsdale Hospital. 21 years later Isabel Beatriz Harnois was born and my third daughter is one of the closest duplicates of a parent that I had ever witnessed. We have the same phenotype and genotype. She also carries a wondrous Hispanic spirit from her mother's side of the Harnois' of Hinsdale family. As a single father at 65 with a six-yearold daughter, life is one amazing journey. Isabel is the love of my life! How has your profession shaped your life you over the years? My commitment to my patients is to deliver the best possible aesthetic dentistry. Another driving force is my never-ending thirst for knowledge to be able to take the best possible care of my patients. All of them. This beloved Hinsdale Dentistry practice I helped to build these past 40 years is an evolution. Don Thorne started the practice in 1969, and as the Senior Partner these past 15 years I now feel I have the strongest team assembled of any dental practice in the land.

ISABEL AND DR. PETER HARNOIS

I am also the senior faculty lead of several advanced aesthetic academies. The way I look at it, I am the Doctor who trains the doctors to create beautiful, aesthetic smile makeovers all over North America. Lecturing these past 15 years on Emerging Technologies in Dentistry has enabled me to bring the newest technologies back to Hinsdale Dentistry to be able to take the best, least invasive, aesthetic care of our patients. Digital scanners, high tech soft and hard tissue lasers and high-end porcelain veneers that preserve and protect patients existing tooth structures are just some of those technologies. I love being a dentist in this great town of Hinsdale. My older 3 children all attended Oak School, St Ignatius, and Hinsdale Central. Now my beloved Isabel is in Kindergarten at Monroe Grade School where I attended in 1961. She will be the final chapter of the Harnois clan at Hinsdale Central. Life is great! ■

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Hinsdale Magazine | Father Figures

PAUL BUTLER

the Father of Oak Brook… and much more BY LARRY ATSEFF

nce upon a time, spanning much of the 20th century, a true visionary came on the scene in what is now the Village of Oak Brook. Paul Butler was the Father of Oak Brook—but he accomplished a whole lot more. What follows is a reminder of some of what he did, and how he did it all. Karen Bushy, the last president of Oak Brook to know and spend time with Butler, has contributed many of the observations in this piece. Bushy was a person that Butler trusted during the years when his ideas were being translated into reality, as the dream began to be implemented on the scale he had imagined. Bushy met

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Butler shortly after moving to Oak Brook in 1973. They became good friends and remained so for the rest of Butler’s life. The Butler Paper Company Before there was a Paul Butler, there was the Butler Paper Company. Butler’s grandfather Julius Wales Butler and great uncle Oliver Morris Butler founded the J.W. Butler Paper Co. in the 1800s in the Chicago area. It grew to become one of the largest family-owned paper companies in the country until Paul Butler sold it in 1960. Nevertheless, Butler Paper was the foundation that enabled Butler to add companies and follow pursuits in a number of eclectic directions.

Paul Butler arrives on the scene Tom and Mary Sterling, authors of Hinsdale & the World, relate that Butler was born on June 23, 1892 to Frank and Fannie Butler of Hinsdale, owners of the Butler Paper Co. “When Paul and his brother, Julius, were still children, their father bought land on the west bank of Salt Creek as the site for their future home,” the Sterlings write. “The tall oaks surrounding the area together with the babbling brook gave it the name later shared with an entire village—Oak Brook. Frank Butler’s Oak Brook was a farmhouse like any other, consisting of a house, stables, and fields. When Frank

bought nearby Natoma Dairy from George Robbins, son of Hinsdale’s founder William Robbins, he acquired Natoma’s lucrative dairy operation along with its fine herd of prize-winning dairy cows. The name Natoma, by the way, comes from the Indian word meaning ‘running water,’ no doubt a reference to Salt Creek. When Paul eventually acquired Natoma Farm from his father, he used it as headquarters for both the Butler Co. and his sports core, as he began systematically to develop the area.” The influence of polo and horsemanship According to a biography by the Oak Brook Polo Club, Butler attended the University of Illinois from 1910 to 1911, where he studied agriculture. He also served as a lieutenant in the 106th cavalry, which was known as the Black Horse Troop during the First World War. He also became a captain and a pilot during the war. After serving, he also spent time on Butler ranches in the Dakota territory and oversaw Montana ranches in the 1940s. “The game of polo captured the heart of Paul Butler, whose enthusiasm for the game would shape the evolution of a village,” the Sterlings say. “As a member of the Wheaton polo team, in 1915, young Paul Butler helped lead his team to victory over a team from Onwentsia. His love for the game led to the creation of the Oak Brook Polo Club, and, in 1929, organizers put him in charge of setting up polo matches for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, which hoped to feature ‘games of every sport from archery to polo…with the greatest athletes from all nations competing.’” When he played actively, he won six U.S. Open Polo Championships and four Butler Handicap titles, according to the biography. Polo provided the Village of Oak Brook a lifestyle appeal—a social sporting scene, attracting people from across the country and polo

A RECENT MATCH AT OAK BROOK POLO CLUB, 700 OAK BROOK ROAD

teams from around the world. In many ways, polo created what became Oak Brook. The Oak Brook Polo Club was the largest polo plant in the world from 1954 to 1979, and would be billed the “polo capital of the United States,” or “polo town.”

Road so they could be used as an airstrip for incoming guests. Those guests included royalty, dignitaries, celebrities, and professional golfers, who loved playing at Butler National Golf Club. Over the years, Prince Charles, Lord Cowdray, Maj. Ronald Ferguson, Lord Patrick Beresford, King Hussein, the Maharaja and Maharani of Jaipur, Audrey Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, and others visited the club. Mick Jagger was a frequent guest, as was Susan St. James. Butler’s Oak Brook team also traveled far and wide to support other clubs, and Oak Brook hosted international teams from Argentina, Mexico, England, and India. Butler’s approach to business and Oak Brook

Not only did the club host polo every week during the season, but it also “rode to the hounds” in full regalia with regularity. By 1956, the Oak Brook Polo Club had 14 polo fields and stabling for 400 horses, with games, played six days a week during the season. The club also included grandstands, bleachers and box seats, a clubhouse, and 36 miles of tree-lined trails. Butler joined the two polo fields closest to Oak Brook Road (31st Street) and York

As noted, Karen Bushy moved into the village in 1973 and got to know Butler and his family as neighbors. What follows are her recollections about how Paul Butler worked with neighbors and others who could help him realize the dream of a special Oak Brook and other successes. She says, “If you lived in Oak Brook, Butler considered you a ‘neighbor’. His friend and then village president Continued on next page HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

Hinsdale Magazine | Father Figures

CRATE & BARREL AT OAKBROOK CENTER

Continued from the previous page George Howell had named Bushy to the plan commission, and Butler loved the idea that young people moving into the village were eager to catch his vision for what this could become. He gladly shared with those who cared to participate in what he called his ‘grand experiment’.” “For Paul, it just made straightforward, practical sense to him to work where he lived,” Bushy said. “His polo operations were right nearby. He loved the surroundings— the trees, the water, and the earth itself—the reason the Oak Brook Polo Club colors were blue and green with a bit of brown accent. Here he could meet with his nearby friends, farmers, and landowners. One of the low-slung, rather unremarkable buildings that were part of the old dairy operation was actually the general headquarters for all of the farflung Butler enterprises and interests. Known locally as ‘the GHQ,’ it was where Paul and others had their office—offices that were very, very casual: blue jeans and boots—never suits and ties, to be sure.” Bushy said the GHQ contained a conference room that Butler called the “chart room.” One whole wall was covered with an aerial photograph of the Butler landholdings in the area, allowing Paul and those there to do business with him a chance to really 40

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appreciate the “big picture.” Two of the people there helped keep Paul “on track,” secretary Ann Spurrier, and his “houseman” Kenyon. “His larger vision beyond polo and riding to hounds was to develop more activities at the sports core,” Bushy said. “He had the land and thought it could be turned into a world-class golf course. And so in 1972, Butler National Golf Club was created.” Butler National hosted the Western Open from 1974 to 1990, and in May 2007, Golf Digest rated Butler No. 21 on its list of “America’s 100 Greatest Courses.” She recalls, “In the same compound as the GHQ, folks from Oak Brook and others who knew it was there enjoyed one of the best restaurants around: The Oak Brook Saddle Club. Known for its ‘best available steaks’, and even more for the neighborly camaraderie, Friday and Saturday nights you could always find friends and neighbors enjoying drinks and dinner at the Saddle Club, an atmosphere that grew over time, to be sure. You just had to know where to turn off on to the gravel road that led deep into the woods.” Elsewhere on the “sports core” property, Butler had built the Oak Brook Bath & Tennis Club, a membership-only place for summer

rest and relaxation and a lovely amenity to the polo operations, along with a small nine-hole executive golf course he’d built on the property. It became the site for the Sunday afternoon parties after the conclusion of the last polo game of the day. Bushy said Butler “almost always” enjoyed a good relationship with local residents. “As they saw how he was developing the area, they looked to him when they wanted to sell their farmland,” she said. “Eventually, Butler Co. owned 3,600 acres in the area, simply by offering to buy their land when they wanted to sell. He interacted frequently with the neighbors, who had formed the Oak Brook Civic Association.” An important quality about Butler that Bushy noted was his willingness to change his mind when he realized he made a mistake. For example, as companies moved their headquarters out to Oak Brook, he was adamant that the buildings be only one or two stories, square, boxy and white. After a few went up, he admitted it was a “terrible idea”. Polo activities and ranch holdings took Butler all over the country. That’s where his training as a pilot came in handy, enabling him to fly to often remote locations. Ever curious

and observant, Butler noted that all these small airports had the same needs in terms of equipment, fuel, buildings and hangars, and so Butler Aviation was born.

“His eager collaboration with those who lived here and who were willing to devote their time to giving life to his dreams made for a beautiful, forward-looking village,” Bushy said.

In 1986, Paul sold Butler Aviation to North American Ventures for $140 million in cash and stock. The company, based in Montvale, N.J., grew to provide technical and management services to airports, marine, energy, electronics and telecommunications, employing 10,000 people with estimated revenues of $400 million.

Concerned with the encroachment of the suburbs, Butler also consulted with several experts to complete a comprehensive plan for Oak Brook. The idea was to work out a plan for a well-organized commercial area

By the time Bushy got to know Butler in the ‘70s, he had developed three major subdivisions in the village: Ginger Creek, York Woods, and Brook Forest. Butler never wanted to build the homes; instead, his focus was on the land and keeping everything as natural as possible.

facing 31st Street has been named Paul Butler Nature Area. Butler also donated land for what would become Christ Church of Oak Brook. He hoped for a large church that would welcome all who came to Oak Brook. He thought that more appropriate than several small denominational churches. In the years when the Western Open was hosted in the village and international polo was being played throughout the summer, another of his ideas manifested: golfers, broadcasters, polo players, and fans alike all found a place to worship in town, alongside the “local folks.”

“The beauty of the open fields, the magnificent stands of old-growth oak forests, were to be preserved for the future, so he worked with George Howell, and they crafted an agreement to sell the sports core to the people of Oak Brook, provided the land would ‘in perpetuity be green space, owned by and for the benefit of the people of the Village of Oak Brook.’ That preserved another 270 acres in the center of the village.”

Butler further donated land for schools, and was involved with his father and uncle in building both the first and second Butler School. The original school at Spring Road and 31st Street is now the home of the Oak Brook Historical Society.

Starting with so much raw land, much of it wooded and rolling, Butler was able to implement “Paul did not want there his vision on a grand to ever be development on scale. Lot sizes would his beloved sports core,” be substantial. Homes Bushy said. “The beauty would be set back from of the open fields, the the roadway and generous magnificent stands of oldseparation between the growth oak forests, were homes was expected, for to be preserved for the both privacy and beauty. future, so he worked with He wanted the land to be George Howell, and they left just as nature created crafted an agreement to — KAREN BUSHY, former President of Oak Brook it. There would be no sell the sports core to the leveling of hills and dales, no straight people of Oak Brook, provided the that would support the homes and roads and streets. Instead, there land would ‘in perpetuity be green recreational areas. His vision was would be winding roads and paths, space, owned by and for the benefit a village of no more than 10,000 following the natural contours of of the people of the Village of Oak residents. the land. The residents who would Brook.’ That preserved another 270 become the decision-makers for the In the same vein, Butler wanted to acres in the center of the village.” village understood his goals and make sure that there would be plenty “Part of Butler’s vision was his vision, and they were the ones of natural land settings throughout attracting businesses to the area who implemented those ideas and Oak Brook. He donated the land to create a tax base. The fanfare codified them into what became that would become a large tract of sporting activities was a natural known as the subdivision control of forest preserve, which adjoins springboard for contacts for bringing ordinance that governed all aspects Fullersburg Woods to the south in business headquarters out to Oak of development in Oak Brook. Hinsdale. The side of the preserve Brook. Companies were quick to Continued on next page HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

Hinsdale Magazine | Father Figures Continued from the previous page recognize the ingenuity of Butler’s plan, which meant that property owners in the village, both residential and commercial, would pay no property taxes to operate the village. All of the revenues needed to sustain operations came from sales taxproducing commercial enterprises, which the business community greatly appreciated. All of this made Oak Brook even more attractive for companies to relocate.” “As residential and commercial development evolved, Oak Brook was incorporated in 1958, and in the early 1960s, Oakbrook Center was developed into as a very desirable upscale shopping mall.” Paul Butler’s children Paul had four children: Michael, Jorie, Frank, and Norman. Michael and Jorie followed in their father’s footsteps in their own way. As you might expect, with all of his contacts with notables through Polo and his many pursuits, Paul found time and interest to back a number of successful Broadway shows including

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Kismet, Peter Pan, and The Music Man. Paul’s son Michael followed his father by promoting the sport of polo, volunteering his talents to the US Polo Association, and supported the arts. In fact, Michael became an American theatrical producer best known for bringing the rock musical Hair from the public theater to Broadway in 1968. His daughter Jorie, became an excellent rider and polo player herself and was rated by the US Polo Association in 1969. She organized the USPA Polo Pony Championship and helped establish its rules and registry. She served on the board of directors for the National Polo Museum and the Hall of Fame selection committee. Jorie also developed the Hunter Trails subdivision. In 1971, she married Geoffrey Kent. He too was a polo player, and with him, she helped build a very successful travel business specializing in luxury photography safaris all over the world. Like her dad, she is also very committed to conservation efforts.

Last Observations One of Paul Butler’s many passions was photography. Each year, he would select a photograph he’d taken, and have it made into a Christmas card that was sent to every home in the village. Sharing what he loved about nature and Oak Brook was important to him, and he hoped others would enjoy it and appreciate it as much as he did. In a terrible irony, on June 21, 1981, he was standing in the middle of Oak Brook Road, right in front of his old homestead, taking photographs of the sunset, when he was struck by a car and killed. Almost 30 years have passed since that date—enough time to see how many of his innovative ideas have become the accepted standard in so many of the areas he influenced. “Paul Butler was a true visionary, a true Renaissance man,” Bushy said, “not only the Father of Oak Brook, but even more than you ever imagined.” ■

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Celebration of Armed Forces Day In Burr Ridge BY LARRY ATSEFF PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARCELLO RODARTE MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT CASTELLVI, INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE MARINE CORPS 44

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espite a steady downpour on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 15, nearly 200 veterans and families gathered under a tent next to the Burr Ridge Veterans Memorial to pay respects to those who have served and those who are currently serving in our armed services. The crowd was brought to its feet by keynote speaker Major General Robert Castellvi, Inspector General of the Marine Corps, as he remarked that the servicemen and women of today are the equal of those he has seen in his 37 years of service at all levels in the Marines. Castellvi, registered as a Burr Ridge resident, urged everyone to encourage young people to consider the armed services as a worthy career. And, then, he asked everyone to remember the soldiers in every branch of the military who are serving all over the world today. “And when you think of those serving, think of a soldier in a rocket artillery battery with the US Army 2d Infantry Division, the Indianhead Division, in South Korea. This morning he did maintenance on his rocket launchers, maybe cleaned his rifle; and tonight he’s sleeping next to his kit, knowing that in a war on the Korean Peninsula, he could be in combat in a matter of hours, under missile attack in a matter of minutes.”

THE AUDIENCE SHOWS ITS APPRECIATION FOR GENERAL CASTELLVI'S REMARKS

resolve. Or how about that Air Force missile crew on alert with the 740th Missile Squadron, deep underground at Minot AFB, SD, armed with the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. These are Airman we’re counting on to think clearly in the event the unthinkable occurs.”

National Security Agency at Ft Meade Maryland who just got on watch. Is today the day an adversary tries an intrusion into a critical defense network, or maybe another attack against our energy sector, maybe this time taking out the electrical grid across a major city in our homeland.”

“Think of that Sailor in the US Seventh Fleet, on the bridge of a Guided Missile Destroyer, transiting through the Taiwan Strait and onward around the contested islands in the South China Sea; sending a message about our resolve to maintain peace and security in the indo-pacific and enforce freedom of navigation through international waters.”

“Think about that pilot and air crew in US Air Force 525th Fighter Squadron in Joint Base Elmendorf/ Richardson Alaska. Sleeping in their flight suits because they’re on strip alert to intercept any aircraft coming across the arctic, to test our defenses and our

- MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT CASTELLVI, Inspector General of the Marine Corps

“Think about that Marine in an infantry battalion out of the 1st Marine Division, who last week said goodbye to his wife and kids and deployed to the Arabian Peninsula to serve as a rapid reaction force across the region, from Syria to Iraq, and along with an Army Ranger battalion, will provide combatready over watch of the withdrawal of our remaining forces from Afghanistan.” “Think about that Communications Tech with US Cyber Command and the

“Think about that Coast Guardsman on the crew of a Coast Guard cutter operating off the Florida coast. On the same day that crew could be called upon to intercept drug and human smugglers at sea, and turn around and have to launch a search and rescue assets to save the crew of a vessel in distress.”

“Think about that National Guardsman in DC who thought he was going back to college last January, just to find himself mobilized and spending the better part of the semester guarding the US Capitol …. or how about his fellow National Guardsmen in AZ who last week was mobilized and will likely spend most of the summer deployed to the SW Border to assist in the migrant surge.” “Lastly, I want you to think about a senior at Lyons Township and maybe one at Benet Academy who this summer are going to ship off to recruit training or head off to college and join the ROTC as an officer candidate. Imagine Continued on next page HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

Hinsdale Magazine | Community Scene Continued from the previous page the butterflies in their stomachs.” “Finally, I leave you with my favorite Armed Forces Day quote; it’s from Ronald Reagan, the president and commander-in-chief in my lifetime who inspired me the most; and arguably one of the greatest in our history, in terms of impact on our country and the world.”

recognized for her long dedication and service to Honor Flights, making cards to remember veterans in retirement homes, and her support of the Gary Sinise Foundation. In these ways, Pat keeps the memory of the military alive.

The 2021 winner is Charlie Hartley who served in WWII and Korea. A Hinsdale resident and owner of Hartley’s Cycle Shoppe, Charlie has been active in his community for years and has been a strong supporter of the American Legion and its efforts to honor the military, for decades. ■

‘The men and women in our armed services are our final protection against those who wish us ill. The soldier, the sailor, the airman, and the marine, in the United States and around the world are the ultimate guardians of our freedom to say what we think, go where we will, choose who we want for our leaders, and pray as we wish’. This was from his 1982 Armed Forces Day radio address.” The event also honored two winners of the Jack Schaus’ Patriot Award. Pat Liss, who comes from a military family, was the 2020 winner. She was CHARLIE HARTLEY WHO SERVED IN WWII AND KOREA ACCEPTS HIS JACK SCHAUS’ PATRIOT AWARD

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER MATTHEW ZINN, US COAST GUARD, PAT LISS, 2020 JACK SCHAUS PATRIOT AWARD WINNER, CHARLIE HARTLEY, 2021 JACK SCHAUS PATRIOT AWARD WINNER, MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT CASTELLVI, INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE MARINE CORPS , BURR RIDGE MAYOR GARY GRASSO, MICKEY STRAUB, VETERANS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN 46

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Hinsdale Magazine | Media

Shining Bright Catching up with ABC7 meteorologist Tracy Butler on career, family, and how her sunny outlook allows her to weather any of life’s storms BY VALERIE HARDY I PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLINA MENAPACE

BUTLER HONES HER GOLF SKILLS ON HOLE 6 AT THE DOWNERS GROVE GOLF COURSE, THE SITE OF HER ONE AND ONLY HOLE IN ONE. 50

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racy Butler is proud and humbled to be the longest running (27 years and counting) female meteorologist on air in Chicago. She said it is “a tip of the hat to the station that they kept me there, but it’s also a tip of the hat to the viewers. They trust me to come into their homes...via ABC 7. If I don’t do a good job of preparing people for their day, then I’m not doing my job.” Contributing Editor Valerie Hardy chatted with Butler about everything from how she got started in broadcasting, to her battle with breast cancer, to her family’s newest addition: dog Bailey. Take us back to the very beginning. What was your pathway to a career in meteorology? I had this idea back in 7th grade that I wanted to go into broadcasting. I grew up in Pittsburgh, home of KDKA Radio, the world’s first commercial radio station…I was so influenced by the medium. I wanted to talk to people through media somehow. Fast-forward a bit...I did my internship at KDKA Radio…then I got a job at KDKATV in advertising and promotion...Part of my job was to accompany the talent to speaking engagements. I loved going with the meteorologists. They would read really fun weather books to kids, books I really connected with, [like] Little Cloud by Eric Carle. Just because I found it fascinating, I would hang out, on my own time, with one of the meteorologists [from the station]. I learned a lot about meteorology just by doing that. A meteorologist position in Wheeling, WV was advertised in a paper known as The Pittsburgh Press, and thenKDKA meteorologist Brian Sussman encouraged me to apply. I didn’t have a degree in meteorology (I later went back and got my meteorology certification through Mississippi State University), but he said, “Listen, you’re learning this. You’re doing this.” I had been doing some on-camera work at the time, so I applied for the job. I [would be] going from a full-time job with benefits to making $5.50 an hour as the weekend weatherperson in

BUTLER RECEIVES A DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD FROM HER COLLEGE, INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. PHOTO COURTESY OF JESICA BUTLER.

Wheeling, WV. I remember talking to my mom, and she said, “You never want to look back and regret. If you don’t take the risk, you’ll never know.” So, I took the risk, and I got the job, and I loved every single four months of it that I was there. Another job came along in Youngstown, OH [which paid more than $5.50], and then a position in Richmond, VA. While I was in Richmond, I met a man by the name of Spencer Christian who did the weather for a very long time on Good Morning America (GMA). He came to do live shots in Richmond, and I became bold enough to say, “How come you never have a woman fill in for you for the weather on GMA?” Soon after, he called and said, “You know what? You should be filling in for me on GMA.” After filling in on GMA in 1993, I

immediately started getting phone calls from stations around the country… There was a gentleman who still has my heart, [late Chicago meteorologist] Jerry Taft. He went to management and said, “There’s this gal filling in on GMA, and I think we need to give her a shot.” We used to joke that I owe him 10 percent of my salary. I started here in Chicago in January of 1994. I feel so blessed…but back in Richmond, I used to have probably a two-inch thick file of rejection letters from news directors around the country that I would send tapes out to. I’d get a rejection letter, but you just keep pressing on. You can’t let somebody’s rejection of you define your path. Those are wise words for everyone, perhaps especially children. Do you have other advice for young people? Continued on next page HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

Hinsdale Magazine | Media Continued from the previous page There are a lot of kids out there who want to pursue something, and I encourage them...Those dreams do come true, and I’m living proof of that. Some [children] may be frightened of various weather situations. It’s important to me that they’re not scared but prepared. I started my Weather Sketchers Club when I was working in Youngstown, then Richmond, and brought it here. It was a time when many schools were getting rid of their arts and music programs.... There are children who really learn very well from the arts and creativity. I wanted to find a way to encourage and fuel creativity in children. I welcome children 13 and under to draw a weather-related picture and send it to me at the station. If they include their contact information along with the picture, the station will contact them to let them know if the drawings will be on TV. I want children to have a forum to showcase their talents.

Can you tell us a bit more about your family? I met my husband, Michael, on a blind date arranged by my cousin in 1990, and we were married Sept. 5, 1992. He is also from Pittsburgh. He has been on this journey from when I worked in Youngstown, to Richmond, to GMA, to Chicago. I’ve been really, really blessed to have a husband who has truly been the backbone of my career. He has been so supportive. I have a daughter, Cassandra, who is 18 and just graduated high school and a 15-year-old daughter, Crystina. Both are incredible students and athletes. They both play tennis. Our family of four grew to five recently.

of things. As moms, we bounce ideas about child-rearing off each other. One of them was always there to take me to appointments during my breast cancer ordeal if my husband couldn’t. When you move around, you don’t know who you’re going to find to move into your circle. I’m so incredibly fortunate to have the group of friends that I have in the western suburbs…it’s also the community that has welcomed me and sustained my longevity in the Chicago area. You mentioned your cancer experience. Would you be willing to share a bit more about that and how you’re doing now? Absolutely. You hear this…and it becomes cliché, but as women, as moms, we take care of everyone else and put ourselves very low in the priority ranking. For three years. I went without a mammogram...For Christmas of 2018, I told myself I was giving myself this gift of a mammogram. On Dec. 14 [that year], I got a phone call [telling me] I had cancer. What if I wouldn’t have given myself that gift?

“I’m fiercely passionate about this: take care of yourself, please, please, please. I almost learned the hard way the price you pay [if you don’t].”

What is a typical day in the life of Tracy Butler like? When I am commuting to work, I get up at 1:30 a.m….Thankfully, we have a wonderful hair and makeup artist who does our hair and makeup at the station…I start working at 2:30 a.m. just to do my homework so I can prepare all the graphics you see on TV. I make the forecast; it’s my own.

We got a dog during COVID - a silver lab named Bailey. She is pretty, and she is pretty rambunctious. She landed in our laps so to speak. We tried for six dogs, and [finally] got this one…She’s been an incredible addition to our family.

Monday-Friday, 4:30-7:00 a.m., is our morning show [on ABC 7]. Then I have some cut-ins during GMA. I’m also on during the 11:00-12:00 [newscast].

We lived in the city for a year, but my husband and I both grew up in the suburbs. We both needed to find an area that felt homey.

We typically eat dinner around 3:30 p.m. [in my family]. As my kids got older, they started tucking me in. I am in bed by 6:00 p.m. For a while, my kids thought everyone went to bed at 6:00.

We landed here in 1995…and it felt familiar. It felt welcoming. It just felt right, and - of course - the schools in this area are incredible.

Quite frankly, I was always a night owl before I did this show. On the weekends, I sleep in until 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. On Friday nights, I’m lucky if I can stay up until 7:00 p.m., but often we’ll watch Shark Tank, and that gets me to 8:00 p.m. 52

— TRACY BUTLER

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What brought you to the western suburbs of Chicago...and kept you here?

In that year’s time [while we were still living in the city], I had made a lot of friends who lived in this area. I don’t have any sisters - I have two brothers but I have a circle of female friends, and we call ourselves the sisters in Christ. They have helped me through all kinds

I was extremely lucky that I caught [the cancer] early. I had surgery in early 2019. Had I not gone and obtained that mammogram, who knows? Thank goodness, thank God, I had gotten to it before it was too late. I’m fiercely passionate about this: take care of yourself, please, please, please. I almost learned the hard way the price you pay [if you don’t]. I still have to go through more frequent [doctor] visits and still maintain some treatment of sorts in order to hopefully keep [the cancer] from coming back, but all is well. My family has been incredibly supportive - and my friends; don’t be afraid to ask people for support. My life verse is from Philippians: “Do not be anxious about anything... with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” I’ve made my requests to get me through various things in life. We all find our strength in various ways. [My faith] is a way I find strength and

coping...and I find great strength in my family. I have two parents who gave me an incredible childhood, and I hope I made them proud in the person I’ve become. You have used your status as a public figure to support numerous charitable and philanthropic efforts. What are a few that are closest to your heart? Reclaim13 is at the top of the list. This organization was started by this amazing woman, Cassandra Ma. It’s so sad that an organization like this is needed - to end human trafficking...It happens here; it happens in DuPage County. The average age of girls who are trafficked is 13. At the time when Cassandra asked me to be part of Reclaim13, I had a 13-year-old daughter… It sickens me, the monsters who are out there that prey on vulnerable children. If I can give voice to an organization that is trying to stop that, I’ll do that - to help and rescue children and teens from this horrible experience. I also became much more familiar with Wellness House in Hinsdale in my own cancer journey....They do some incredible, incredible outreach for people all over this area... It’s such a great resource for people who have been, in many cases, given that enormous blow to their lives of a cancer diagnosis. I also work with A Silver Lining Foundation. This was started by Dr. Sandy Goldberg to help all women have access to a mammogram. My mother, back in Oct. 2000, was diagnosed with [Multiple Sclerosis]. I’ve done a lot to aid with public outreach of what the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation does. Also, Ian’s Place for Bereaved Parents, which is opening soon in Clarendon Hills. My friend’s son was very tragically killed in a horrible accident… Through this process, she is developing a bereavement center to create healing through hope. If you ever find yourself with spare time, what do you do? During COVID, I took up a new hobby: [making] those no-sew blankets. I love to do sudoku puzzles and I love jigsaw puzzles. I got my parents hooked on puzzles too. They’ve framed so many of

BUTLER SPENDS AN AFTERNOON IN DOWNTOWN HINSDALE WITH HER FRIENDS SANDY LAGESTEE OF CLARENDON HILLS AND REBECCA WELLS AND AMY SCHUBERT OF OAK BROOK.

their puzzles. It’s so funny. I’ll catch up on General Hospital over the weekend. I’m mad about my soap! I started watching All My Children with my grandmother - it was her “story”. I was devastated when [All My Children]... went off the air, but a guilty pleasure of mine is General Hospital. In addition to ABC 7, you also do weekly forecasts for ESPN Radio. What sports teams do you root for? I love, love sports! This is such a great sports town. That’s another thing that has kept me rooted here…I love the sports fans. I love that there are two baseball teams in the city. I love the passion that sports brings, and how it brings people together. I just really enjoy the opportunities I have had to prepare listeners on ESPN 1000 for a sporting event with the weather. We are very passionate Steelers fans,

but since the Bears are in a different conference, we can root for them. We have become Cubs fans; no slight to the White Sox fans, we just became fans of the northsiders. When we first moved here, we would always go to the Blackhawks games when the Pittsburgh Penguins would come to play [too]. What are your favorite sports to play? Tennis is a sport I really loved. I played in high school (not well - both of my children could beat me by just walking onto the court). I barely made the tennis team. Really, the whole reason I started playing golf is [because playing tennis with my husband was a challenge]. He would slam the ball down my throat or he’d have to really let up. I didn’t want to be a golf widow, him on the golf course all weekend.... It’s something we Continued on next page HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

Hinsdale Magazine | Media

Continued from the previous page can do forever, I hope, after our children are out of the nest. On July 11, 1995, I had my first and only hole in one. That was the first season I played golf. It was on Hole 6 at the Downers Grove Golf Course. It was 111 yards; I was so new to the game I used a driver. It was the ugliest shot you could ever see, but it went in. Wow! A hole in one your first season playing? What was that like? We watched [the ball] roll up. It was a wormburner. The first person I called was Jerry Taft. I still have the ball and a trophy from the National Hole in One Association. That’s the thing about golf that brings you back - the next good shot. What are some of your favorite golf courses to play? I love Cantigny in Wheaton. It’s amazing! Every time I’m at that course I feel like I’m a million miles away. Especially when everything starts to bloom and in the summer, I feel like I’m on a golf course in South Carolina. 54

HinsdaleMag.com | HINSDALE MAGAZINE

Cog Hill - Course #2 - is another of my favorites. I don’t think people realize how awesome that nine-hole course in Downers Grove is either. It’s such a gem in this area, but it’s not a course for beginners. A bucket list item of mine is that I would like to play at least one golf course in every state in the United States. I still have probably 40 states to go, but I love the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, SC. It is just spectacular… We play quite a bit up in WI at Abbey Springs and Geneva National. The thing I love about some of those WI courses is they’re very much like Pennsylvania courses - like rolling hills; you’re playing like you’re a mountain goat…. I love the opportunity to get out there and see different parts of the country. The Donald Ross Course at French Lick, IN is just a fun course. One of my most unique experiences was when we played a golf course in Banff, Canada; I hit my ball right in the middle of a herd of elk. The ranger pointed out that it was mating season and said [the elk] may not take kindly if you get between the mom and her babies. I didn’t need

the golf ball that badly... What are some of your favorite west suburban hangouts beyond the golf course? I love to meet my friends at Steam of Oak Brook, or we like to walk the trail around Oak Brook Tennis. One thing that my girlfriend has been on me about is playing paddle at Katherine Legge Park. That’s a bucket list item of mine now. I’ve been over to that park and it’s absolutely beautiful. For restaurants, some of the places I love in the western burbs are Gibson’s - the chocolate macadamia nut dessert is one of my favorites in the world - and also Jade Dragon, ItaliAmo, Capri, and Busy Bee Bakery in Downers Grove. ■

Hinsdale Magazine | Golf

Tee Time

BY EMMA WOLF

t’s summer time and that means it’s tee time! Surrounded by blue sky, sunshine, and well-contoured greens, golf is a superb summertime sport. Hinsdale Magazine took a look at a variety of golf courses in the area, each one with something unique to offer. Whether you’re looking for a low-key, family-friendly golf event or a cut-throat competition, our Top 10 is sure to have the perfect golf course for you.

1. Most History

Downers Grove Golf Club Established in 1892, the historical Downers Grove Golf Club was the first 18-hole golf course in the U.S. Located on Haddow Avenue in Downers Grove, the Downers Grove Golf Club-formerly known as the Chicago Golf Club-was built on a plot of farmland owned by golfer A. Haddow Smith.

2. Hotel Setting

Willow Crest Golf Club (Hilton Oakbrook Hills Resort) Nestled right inside the Hilton Oakbrook Hills Resort, Willow Crest Golf Club offers a par of 70 with a slope of 134 with a beautiful setting that contains gorgeous greens and water all throughout.

3. Play Where the Pros Play Cog Hill Golf & Country Club

Play where the pros-including Tiger Woods-play! This course has been featured in multiple golf magazines and has also been used to host the BMW Championship. It has four 18-hole courses and a driving range that is equipped with Toptracer technology.

4. Bucket List

Whistling Straits Golf Course Located right alongside the Lake Michigan shoreline, this course has hosted many championships, including two U.S. Women’s Opens, a U.S. Senior Open, and three PGA Championships. In September, Whistling Straits will be hosting the 43rd Ryder Cup.

5. Most Unique Cantigny Golf

The beautiful rolling terrain that covers nearly 300 acres has three distinct nine-hole courses that rotate-the Woodside, Lakeside, and Hillside. Cantigny has hosted the Illinois State Amateur Championship five times and was named the “Best New Public Course in America” by Golf Digest when it opened in 1989.

6. For Beginners Zigfield Troy Golf

This family-friendly course that contains both a golf course and the Lost Mountain mini golf course is perfect for beginner golfers of all ages.

7. Worth the Drive

Prairie Bluff Golf Course This sweet and simple course offers water, prairie grass, and a beautifully manicured lawn to make your golf experience aesthetically pleasant.

HinsdaleMag.com | HINSDALE MAGAZINE

8. Great Atmosphere

Seven Bridges Golf Club An 18-hole championship course that has a 4-star rating from Golf Digest, Seven Bridges is a public golf club that has a private club feel. The wonderfully manicured course features 100-year-old Oak trees and, as the name suggests, seven bridges throughout.

9. Best Value for Your Money Heritage Bluffs Golf Club

One of Chicagoland’s highest rated golf courses since opening in 1993, The Bluffs is a simple golf course that is charming and also won’t break the bank. The course is the pride and joy of the Channahon Park District and has four tee boxes throughout the course that range from 5,000-7,100+ yards. This year, the course will be undergoing cart path renovation and a clubhouse renovation and expansion, including the addition of an indoor/outdoor bar and expanded patio seating.

10. Weekend Getaway

Lake Lawn Resort

Located near Lake Geneva, WI., the scenic Majestic Oaks Golf Course at Lake Lawn Resort is located two miles from the shoreline and is lined with 250 acres of lush tree-lined land, making it the perfect weekend getaway. Opened in 1929, Majestic Oaks is a premier Midwest golf destination that features many tiers, making it a superb course for golfers of all levels.

5 9

10 HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

Hinsdale Magazine | Giving Back

SADDLE HILL FARM IN BURR RIDGE

Hinsdale Historical Society Women’s Board takes kitchen walk outdoors in 2021 BY MIKE ELLIS I PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLINA MENAPACE

he Coronavirus pandemic has challenged local nonprofit organizations to exercise their ingenuity in modifying traditional events or developing new ones to comply with social distancing recommendations. After being unable to host its popular Hinsdale Cooks! Kitchen Walk event in May 2020 due to the

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pandemic, the Hinsdale Historical Society (HHS) Women’s Board is unveiling a kitchen walk “outdoor edition” on June 25, featuring tours of seven outdoor spaces in Hinsdale and Burr Ridge. “All of the yards will be beautiful at that point,” event co-chair Ruta Brigden said. “Everyone’s landscaping will be fully in bloom for the most part.”

Brigden said when the state entered shelter-in-place in 2020, then-kitchen walk co-chairs Emily Van Houtte and Liz Oliverio were seeking ways in which to continue the annual tradition, including the concept of an outdoor walk. The board not to hold circumstances, outdoor event

ultimately elected a walk, given the but the idea of an lived on into 2021,

with the pandemic persisting. “That’s what we started off with, because all these events take a year to plan, so not knowing what a year ahead would bring, we wanted to make sure that, in any event, it would be safe if the virus was still an issue,” Brigden said. Brigden said safety will be a point of emphasis on the kitchen walk outdoor edition. “Nobody will be going inside the houses,” she said. In order to allow for social distancing, the walk will be divided into two time-slots: the traditional 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., plus a late session from 4 to 8 p.m. Coupled with keeping the event outdoors, Brigden said “we feel like that will hopefully be a safer way for people to participate.”

more of the focus is [on] gardens and landscaping; [at] some homes, more focus is on the entertaining spaces,” she said. ... “I think we have a great variety—sizes and different types of entertaining spaces for different sizes of families and different sizes of entertaining.” On the north-side of Hinsdale, guests will visit the Houder home on north Adams Street, which features a pool and outdoor entertaining space, and the Isidore home on west Maple Street, which boasts an entertaining space with a pizza oven that Brigden described as a “unique feature” on the walk.

have otherwise done if it was a focus on interiors,” Brigden said. The trolley tradition will resume this year, with the women’s board supplying four trolleys for VIP ticket purchasers during each session; however, onboard capacities will be reduced to permit greater distancing between passengers. A pair of VIP parties will also be held in advance of each session before boarding the trolleys. General admission tickets are available for $55 apiece, and VIP trolley tickets are being sold for $125.

“Everyone’s landscaping will be fully in bloom for the most part.”

“With seven homes, we think people will be able to spread out as well,” she said. With the event spread across the entire day, Brigden said the board is hopeful to attract more working ladies that could not ordinarily participate in the walk, as well as spouses. As for a limit to the number of people in an outdoor space, Brigden said organizers will be fixing a harder cap closer to the event date, once they establish how many volunteers will be present in each space. “We want people to do whatever’s comfortable to them,” she said. “We’ll make sure to encourage people to social distance in line. ... We will be cognizant of how many people are in each backyard.” In selecting and obtaining homes for the tour, Brigden said as with the traditional indoor kitchen walk, organizers sought out a “variety” of backyard spaces. “There are some homes that have pools; there are some homes [in which]

— RUTA BRIGDEN, event co-chair

Crossing the railroad tracks, we first come to the Zoberis home on Third Street in southeast Hinsdale, designed by renowned local architect R. Harold Zook. An addition the family put on before moving in several years ago more than doubled the size of this house, and includes a pool that will be prominently featured during the outdoor walk. Heading a few blocks to the south, guests will find the Katz/Coleman home on south Garfield Street that Brigden said has “an amazing garden space.” On nearby Washington Circle is the Weller house, an historic home that contains a pool in the backyard. Passing over 55th Street, guests will arrive at the Berger home on east 57th Street, which is a renovation of an originally smaller home. Last but not least, entering Burr Ridge, attendees will visit Saddle Hill Farm, a ranch-style horse farm spread across a spacious property. “That will be absolutely unique this year, and something that we wouldn't

Roughly 1,200 tickets were sold to the kitchen walk in 2019. Each home on the tour will have docent volunteers, and with two sessions scheduled for the walk, Brigden said organizers welcome anyone interested in volunteering.

“We are looking for anyone that is willing to volunteer,” she said. Brigden said the HHS is continuing to work on developing other fundraising events throughout the year, as it is in the process of renovating the Zook home and studio at Katherine Legge Memorial Park in Hinsdale. The historical society has set a fundraising target of $1 million for that project. Brigden said the modified walk “will be exciting this year for lots of reasons.” “I think people are looking forward to getting out and doing something,” she said. ... “We live in a great community, and people should come out and support it, and see these wonderful homes.” The Hinsdale Historical Society Women’s Board will present the inaugural Hinsdale Cooks! Kitchen Walk Outdoor Edition on June 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. Tickets are being sold exclusively online at www.kitchen-walk.com. Dayof tickets will be available for $65. ■ HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

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Hinsdale Magazine | Giving Back

PLATINUM UNPLUGGED

Hinsdale Junior Woman’s Club PHOTOS BY MARCELLO RODARTE

Roughly 200 west suburbanites attended “Platinum Unplugged,” the Hinsdale Junior Woman’s Club’s (HJWC) annual benefit, across four time-slots at Burdi Clothing in downtown Hinsdale on April 24. In order to comply with Coronavirus mitigations, the club limited attendance to 50 guests at a time inside the spacious store, which formerly served as home to Hartley’s Cycle Shoppe. Guests pre-registered for gift cards to sundry downtown stores and restaurants, which they procured at the “red carpet pre-party” event at Burdi Clothing.

Ladies came attired in their full sartorial splendor, having waited patiently to dress up for a night out on the town. DJ Matt Roan supplied musical entertainment for attendees, who browsed the new store, while visiting with friends and neighbors in public in some cases for the first time in more than a year. Perhaps the most popular attraction for ladies was a “360 glam cam” that provided a unique twist on a photo booth. Proceeds from “Platinum Unplugged” supported a smattering of regional non-profit organizations that submitted grant requests to the HJWC in late 2020.

For more information about the Hinsdale Junior Woman's Club, visit www.hjwc.us.

HinsdaleMag.com | HINSDALE MAGAZINE

1. Steven and Lynn Loman; 2. Jeni Graham, Lauren Kavanaugh and Jori Horn; 3. Mistie Psaledas, Kirsten Douglass, Eva Andalcio, Christy Hernandez, Allison Dolph and Ami Schicht; 4. Dragan and Marina Gastevski; 5. Jaclyn McNamara and Ann Lockhart

6. Dr. Jeff and Tina Weller; 7. Pamela Pontikis and Jackelyn Kastanis; 8. Juhl Patterson, Courtney Casey and Liz Yarger; 9. Juhl Patterson, Liz Yarger, Julie Bouchard, Lauren Kavanaugh, Ann Lockhart, Courtney Casey, Lynne Boche and Jaclyn McNamara; 10. Sarah and Michael Herrmann; 11. Dean and Tiffany Stojka

HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

BU I L D E R S | M K C O N S T R U C T I O N

NEW HOME OR REMODEL? PROS AND CONS

hen asked why people prefer building a new home versus staying where they are and remodeling, or moving to a new location and remodeling, Marcin Kawa, founder of MK Construction and Builders, provided some advice: make sure you carefully look at the pros and cons of each situation, and use a lot of common sense. He and his company have been at construction of luxury homes for more than 15 years.

The “pros” of a new home There are several reasons people choose to build a new home.

He says, “First, and foremost: Appropriate customization. This assumes you have thoroughly thought through your potential future for the next 20 to 30 years, beyond the last unusual 12 months.” “You have been cooped up with your family for last year, more than ever before, so you have gotten to know everyone a little better and vice versa. You know 64

HinsdaleMag.com | HINSDALE MAGAZINE

yourself and your significant other better. You know the kids a lot better. That means you know what interests each family member has and what they don’t like. We all know how important the kitchen is in most homes. How important has the kitchen been the last 12 months? Has it become the nerve center for the family, where the meal making takes place as well as meal eating takes place? Is it a study center? When things get back to ‘normal’, will family members still want to get together as much in a central place like a kitchen?” “Or is a dining room or dining area in order? Is a lot of open space the future for a new home? Is a home office/study area a permanent requirement, or will that space go for other activities? How about the bedrooms? Is there a great desire to have not only a great bedroom suite but also a spa/bath where you can get away and luxuriate? Separate bath for the kids? Study areas in bedrooms for the kids? Is it a family room? Or is it a tv/tv games

room? Or a workout room? Or all three?. Or do you need separate rooms?” “How about not so mundane factors such as lighting and windows and landscaping? Do you like to have the outside view of a beautiful backyard, or do you want more privacy? Do you want both?” “Are you big into outdoor play and entertaining, inside and around the home? What kind and what size patio would you like to have in the future? How important is “grilling” to you? How about the location of outdoor entertaining relative to the kitchen? How about the garage? Besides the cars, has it become the mud room, back-pack room, and outdoor play equipment room? Should it?” “The last 12 months have been a stress test, not only for the family, but the home you are living in. You’ve learned a lot about your home and how it has survived … or not. This not only includes the home itself, but all your furnishings and appliances. How have they performed? It is all part of an

experience you can use to your advantage in thinking through your customization for a new home. Now you know better which appliances to buy.” “Obviously, those who want new vs. remodel have concluded that new is the better answer.” “Besides newer, more energy-efficient appliances, there will be newer, better materials for flooring, cabinets, more modern fixtures and furnishings, and decorating schemes, just to your liking because you are installing just what you like.” To sum it up, there is real excitement and expectation that comes with new and better!

of Home Builders statistics indicate the physical construction of a new home can take an average of 7 months from start to finish, and that doesn’t include planning and approval stages. That length of time could also involve arrangements in selling where you currently live, and the potential of having to rent.” “In addition, you might not have the

on. Then there are the inevitable “hidden costs” unless you have planned exceedingly well.” “Do you know or can you get referrals for a designer, architect? How about a lender? Do you know a realtor you can trust?” “Then there is finding a builder you can trust. MK Construction and Builders is renowned for building excellent housing and is recommended by architects and designers.”

“Obviously, those who want new vs. remodel have concluded that new is the better answer.”

And last, but not least, you can cross house tours and the stress for competing for a home, off your list.

How About The Cons Of New Construction? “First of all, when you decide on a new home, 2019 statistics from the Census Bureau and the National Association of Home Builders indicates that the sales cost of a new home vs. an existing home will tens of thousands of dollars more. That just makes sense, if only from the standpoint that new housing is using materials that cost more than when existing homes were built. “Not only that, National Association

- MARCIN KAWA, founder and owner, MK Construction & Builders

“wiggle room” to negotiate on price on a new home vs. an existing home. On top of all that, there is the continual inconvenience of visiting and revisiting a home in progress…not always the neatest experience. And there are lots of decisions to be made along the way. Where to find a lot…which is becoming scarcer and scarcer here is the western suburbs, in a location you like. Then there is actual design of the home. What square footage will you need for the next 20-30 years and will you be able to afford it? Or do you plan for the future, in stages?” “There are a lot of other decisions. What kinds of cabinets, flooring, roofing, appliances, fixtures, landscaping, on and

“We pride ourselves in providing the finest construction techniques and the finest building materials, no matter the project. We also pride ourselves in our willingness to listen closely to our customers and then work with them to realize their dreams. We are very price competitive on a comparable basis. Please go to our website to see the testimonials.” “We also always have spec homes where customers can actually see some of our homes for the quality of design, construction and materials.” Marcin concludes, “Of course, in the end, you decide on whether to build a new home or remodel. Don’t let anyone talk you into something you don’t really want. Just know, we can help, no matter your decision.” For more, please go to www.mkconstructioninc. net or call 773-817-1861. ■

HINSDALE MAGAZINE | HinsdaleMag.com

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SMILE MAKEOVERS

Hinsdale Dentistry transforms hundreds of smiles per year. Just why are so many patients choosing this practice for cosmetic dentistry? Because they know that Dr. Harnois is an esthetics expert—not just regionally, but internationally. Combine his authority with the top-tier technologies available at his practice, and the decision becomes crystal clear. Hinsdale Dentistry has long been setting a standard for comfortable patient care, with the aid of multiple dental lasers and the iTero digital scanner for digital impressions. These tools provide more comfortable, precise and efﬁcient treatment and give patients of all ages a new understanding of dental care. Whether Hinsdale Dentistry’s patients are children receiving ﬁllings prepared with a water laser and no painful shots, adults prepping teeth for crowns or veneers, or anxious patients hoping to whiten their teeth without sensitivity or to avoid traditional impressions, the practice’s minimally invasive technologies revolutionize their experience. Dr. Harnois’ mastery of these tools has led to him becoming a sought-out trainer for emerging dental technologies and techniques. He travels throughout North America teaching other doctors to provide similarly exceptional treatment, sharing his skills as a clinician and esthetics authority.

DR. HARNOIS’ INTERNATIONAL LECTURING As a clinical trainer and lecturer for The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the American Academy of Facial Esthetics, and DenMat, the manufacturer of Lumineers, Dr. Harnois provides handson training and education to dental and medical professionals across the country. He shares his philosophy that every patient deserves the most gentle and minimally invasive cosmetic and metal-free dental treatments with natural results, and enables other dentists to elevate their patient care. THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF COSMETIC DENTISTRY (AACD) Dr. Harnois is a 10-year member of the AACD, which is considered the highest body of knowledge of esthetic dentistry. He is also one of the main presenters at their annual educational symposium each year. THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FACIAL ESTHETICS (AAFE) Dr. Harnois is the President of the Illinois American Academy of Facial Esthetics and trains dentists in Botox and dermal ﬁller techniques. He is a nationally recognized leader in minimally invasive total facial esthetic techniques. Dr. Harnois has instructed thousands of healthcare

professionals through both lecture and hands-on courses and is an outstanding instructor who is known for his coherent and interactive style. DENMAT, LUMINEERS MANUFACTURER Dr. Harnois partners with DenMat to train other dentists in minimally invasive esthetics. He provides hands-on preparation and placement of minimally invasive, ultra-thin, highly esthetic veneers, and educates other dentists on smile design and case consultation and evaluation. He has also authored their educational platforms for the last four years. As an educational leader for current dental technologies and minimally invasive procedures, Dr. Harnois is able to truly transcend and provide patients with unparalleled dental care. If you’re interested in learning more about a noninvasive smile makeover or full mouth rehabilitation, reach out today to schedule a complimentary consultation. We are offering specials on Lumineers smile makeovers—reach out today to learn more!

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