Volume 2 Issue 1 November 2012
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one voice for the rockford area business community
Twenty 2012
people you should know
Sponsor’s Welcome
Reno & Zahm is pleased to return as the presenting sponsor of the second annual People You Should Know. We are honored to recognize the accomplishments of this select group of individuals, each of whom move our community forward economically, civically and culturally. People You Should Know shines a spotlight on extraordinarily talented people who call the Rockford region home. By recognizing their successes, we inspire the next generation of leaders to reach their full potential making our community a better place in which to live, work and play. Communities prosper when leaders from varying backgrounds, industries and organizations come together to inspire, collaborate and learn from each other. We are fortunate to live in a region with an abundance of gifted leaders, and People You Should Know provides an opportunity for us to extol the achievements of a sampling of those leaders who are this year’s honorees. At Reno & Zahm we recognize the importance of leadership. Throughout our history, Reno & Zahm has sought out and recruited the most talented individuals. We know from experience that motivated leaders succeed themselves and inspire success in others. The honorees understand this too and that is why they have been recognized as People You Should Know. The attorneys of Reno & Zahm wish to sincerely congratulate and thank the People You Should Know award recipients. You are among Rockford’s most valuable assets and we are inspired by your success.
RENO & ZAHM LLP
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President’s Letter
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.” You know the game: Six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon. It started as a game in a dorm room, created by six Albright college students who compared the relationships between actors while watching Footloose, starring Kevin Bacon. It’s now become an amusing observance to see how many degrees of separation (“friend of a friend of a friend”) you are from famous people. What’s great in a community of our size, it doesn’t take more than a couple of steps to be connected to our star group of People You Should Know. These are the people who have given their time, talent and provided leadership in many different arenas, while also making themselves accessible to others seeking to also provide leadership. Please enjoy learning more about our 2012 People You Should Know in their featured profiles in this magazine.
one voice for the rockford area business community
Staff Einar K. Forsman, President & CEO Heidi Garner, Executive Assistant to the President/CEO Doug Hessong, Director of Publications & Technology Lynette Jacques, Advertising and Sponsorship Executive Vee Jevremovic, Manager of Education Programs and Events Jazzminne Keyes, Ignite Director Andrew Kobischka, Membership Development Manager Cyndie Landis, Financial Assistant Joy Moriarty, V.P. Finance Stacy Mullins, Director of Events
Einar Forsman, President/CEO Rockford Chamber of Commerce EForsman@rockfordchamber.com
Diane Navickis, Membership Development Manager Joan Sundvall, Membership Contact Coordinator Visit us online rockfordchamber.com
The Rockford Chamber of Commerce publishes One once a year. For information about advertising contact Customer Service at 815-987-8100. Rockford Chamber of Commerce, 308 W. State St., Ste. 190 Rockford, Illinois 61101 Periodicals postage paid at Rockford, Ill. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: One, 308 W. State St., Ste. 190 Rockford, IL 61101
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THE
Leader Within Examining the qualities of leadership
There is a leader in all of us. The best leaders make sure everyone on their team is working to the best of their abilities with their best skills. Leaders guide the team through both good and bad times. A great leader should be a role model while also being a peer. A team should be motivated and influenced by its leader to produce its best work. A great leader possesses the following habits:
Invention – All leaders are inventors to some degree.
It looks effective when it is a movement that stretches across
They generate ideas or they strongly direct an invention peer groups and moves people to join in. Leaders can speak to a bigger picture, one that draws out process that is more than just innovation. Leaders need to have the scientist’s and technologist’s habit human aspirations and changes behavior.
of tinkering with systems and knowing something new can come of it. They have to be driven by novelty.
Reframing – The leader has an ability to “reframe.”
Influence
– While the tools of the elastic enterprise
enable leaders to orchestrate huge ecosystems, they also need to influence, cajole, encourage and incentivize the members
That is, leaders habitually create new perspectives on the of those ecosystems. Influence is an appropriate medium for leading in an ecosystem full of independent businesses. challenges the enterprise faces.
They have the capacity to reframe the vision, mission or Influence can expand without limit whereas other forms of values of the enterprise. Most importantly, they can bring power are limited by control systems that people want to escape. people along with them; they enable everyone in their orbit to reframe.
Leaders need to master the ecosystem’s information architecture, partially own it, and definitely influence it
They can reframe the corporate culture substantially to comprehensively. That means cultivating a habit of appearing take on new opportunities. But, not only do they have to both sage and flexible, being vocal and attentive. convince employees, they need to persuade them, effortlessly.
Drawing the Lines – Leaders typically need to Leaders need a consummate ability to see things differently define new barriers as their companies ferret out opportunity and to keep people around them open to mind-changing ways in converged markets. They are doing radical things, and they of thinking.
Attraction and Orchestration – A leader in
are showing a new degree of openness. Knowing when to draw the line, though, is the difference between success and
an elastic enterprise has to attract and orchestrate a huge range failure. They need to draw the lines between consultation and of assets outside the firm through its business ecosystems. The biggest change in economics in two centuries is taking place instruction, not just for themselves, but also on behalf of around us. Companies scale through their ecosystem rather an ecosystem that is following them, in the expectation of than through investing in owned resources. Leaders must have the powers of persuasion to attract
success. Leaders need to cultivate a strong sense of boundary
those resources. And, they need the status to orchestrate setting and not be too susceptible to, for example, the open activity among peer groups in their resource pool.
management fad, while also being accountable to peers. These
Leaders seem to attract “free agents” through a movement. are subtle differences to grasp. Leaders need to lead something more than their own company.
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Continued from page 5 De-risking – The emerging economy requires a new approach to risk, not in the least, because great companies are now executing radical adjacency moves at will. This economy is global, hyper-competitive and replete with opportunity that leaders are seizing with radical adjacency moves – that is, by making moves into markets where they have no core competency. The new leader knows how to prepare for those opportunities by creating a very high standard of strategic options portfolio management. The strategic options portfolio is a constant search for new options, new alternatives, and new markets, which in turn means leaders have to be very good at the new knowledge environment. Leaders need to develop a habit of knowledgeability and they need to inculcate it into their peers; while being able to give strong direction, they also need to multiply the options available to them. They need the habit of learning every day. n This article was excerpted from Forbes magazine.
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event
To look at all the event pictures, go to rockfordchamber.com.
2012 One “People You Should Know” Reveal Reception Reno & Zahm LLP, Presenting Sponsor Prairie Street Brewhouse, Rockford October 24, 2012 One Magazine and Rockford Chamber of Commerce celebrated the 2012 “People You Should Know” award recipients at a special reception, sponsored by Reno & Zahm. More than 250 guests enjoyed appetizers and drinks in the ballroom of the Prairie Street Brewhouse near downtown Rockford. Chamber President Einar Forsman, Jack Ward of Reno & Zahm, and Mike Broski, Chamber Board Chairman announced the awards and recognized each of the twenty recipients.
LoRayne Logan, representing the 2011 group of People You Should Know, provided words of inspiration to the new inductees.
Jack Ward, from sponsor Reno & Zahm, addresses the audience.
(Right) Honoree Mark Hunter with Mike Mastroianni. 8
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Honorees Paula Carynski, Phil Eaton and Jody Schumacher and their group of Honoree Dr. Bill Gorski with wife Sue and Wilma and Bob Reschke. supporters.
Honoree Mark Hunter and family.
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Honoree Christie Stenstrom Jarrett gets Honoree Dr. John Koehler receives his award. pinned with identifying corsage.
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Honoree Lisa Miles (center) with Joe Licari and Theresa McCarty Oster.
Honoree Scott Sullivan with his peers from WilliamsMcCarthy.
Attendees from the Rockford Park District. Honoree Saul Arteaga with associates from SWITS, Inc.
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Honoree Jeff Layng with Rockford Chamber Board Chairman Mike Broski.
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The 2012 Twenty People You Should Know paused to gather as a group, with Einar Forsman. Not pictured, Dr. John Koehler and Bill LaFever. (Below) Nearly 300 Rockford Business Leaders attended to learn of the 2012 People You Should Know.
THIS IS THE ONE TO BE IN!
one magazine
For advertising rates and a publishing schedule, please contact Lynette Jacques at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. Lynette Jacques Advertising and Sponsorship Executive 815-316-4317 ljacques@ rockfordchamber.com
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Honoree Jeff Layng and his colleagues from JPMorgan Chase Bank.
Honorees Dr. John Koehler (l) and Timothy Knauf (r) with Brad Block and Mike Broski.
Honoree Dr. Robert Head (center) with Rockford College leaders.
Honoree Paula Carynski with son Connor, Karen Brown and Dave Schertz of OSF.
Honoree Peter Provenzano with Michael King.
Honoree Dr. Bill Gorski (center, left) with his wife Sue and associates from SwedishAmerican.
Honoree Amy Brewer with Jack Ward. 12
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Honoree Dan Cataldi with Mike Broski.
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Honoree Christie Stenstrom Jarrett receives her award.
Erich and Jan Hagenlocher with Honoree Dr. Bill Gorski.
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Honoree Paula Carynski of OSF steps forward as her name is announced.
Honoree Ian Linnabary with Jack Ward of Reno & Zahm.
Honoree Bob Guirl of UTC Aerospace Systems.
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Honoree Sarah Wolf of Discovery Center Museum.
Honoree Bob Guirl with family and friends.
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Despite the chilly morning of the photo shoot, the honorees enjoyed conversation.
Honoree Phil Eaton of Rosecrance Health Network.
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People You Should
Seated (l to r): Mark Hunter, Paula Carynski, Bob Guirl, Saul Arteaga, Amy Brewer, Jody Schumacher, and Dan Cataldi. Standing: Phil Eaton, Dr. Bill Gorski, Bill LaFever, Christie Stenstrom Jarrett, Dr. Robert Head, Ian Linnabary, Sarah Wolf, Jeff Layng, Scott Sullivan, Peter Provenzano, Dr. John Koehler, Lisa Miles, and Timothy Knauf. 16
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Know Recognize any of these individuals? Chances are you do—you may have met them at a Chamber function, been introduced at a luncheon or fundraising event, you may even know them in a personal or professional manner. They are your colleagues, friends, business acquaintances. Their combined talents and collective knowledge represent some of what is best of the Rockford area. They are some of the people you should know.
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Dr. Robert Head President, Rockford College
Back to school
Dr. Robert Head had spent a majority of his career as vice president at two bank-affiliated trust companies, Toledo Trust in Ohio and Northern Trust in Chicago. But driving home from a meeting several years ago, he arrived at an important decision. He wanted to leave his career to pursue a new direction in higher education. “I realized that I had a commitment to education and a passion for helping young people in search of a quality educational experience,” says the president of Rockford College. In 1975, Head graduated from Defiance College, a small liberal arts college in Defiance, Ohio, with a bachelor’s degree in management, where he later served as a member of the school’s board of directors. He earned a master’s in business administration from the University of Toledo; a master’s in management and organizational behavior from Benedictine University, Lisle, and his doctorate in organization development, also from Benedictine. His first educational position was at Benedictine University, where he was an associate professor of business and vice-president of administration. In 2001, he became president of Urbana University in Urbana, Ohio. In 2008, Head was hired by Rockford College, where he’s made an immediate impact. Full-time undergraduate enrollment is at a 12-year high. The college has seen its liabilities decrease and assets rise. Head has helped create partnerships with District 205, UT Aerospace, GE Aerospace and others. Head serves on the boards of SwedishAmerican Health System, Keith Country Day School, Golden Apple Foundation, and Higher Education Alliance of the Rock River Valley (HEARR). He serves on the Education Committee of Rockford Area Economic Development Council, and co-chair of the Better Schools Brighter Future Committee in support of the upcoming District 205 bond referendum with Dr. Bill Gorski, president of SwedishAmerican Health System. And the future looks bright at Rockford College, which recently announced a name change to Rockford University. “The new name will reflect the institution as it is,” Head says. “We are going to increase our visibility here and around the world.” By Paul Anthony Arco
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“I have a passion for helping young people.”
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Ian Linnabary Bill LaFever Partner, & Zahm LLP President, BillReno Doran Company
A running Relationships commitment the key
“It’s less about flowers, more about people.”
Ian Linnabary is passionate about Rockford Bill LaFever credits his mother with her, and he’s not shy about it. “best sales job” when she talked him into moving from “My affection forand thishis cityjob is pretty evident, ” said Linnabary, downtown Chicago at Arthur Andersen LLP back a partner where his practice is devoted to RockfordattoReno lead & theZahm floral LLP distribution business started by his primarily to small and the individuals who ownand andI late grandfather, Billbusiness Doran. “I enjoyed being in Chicago, operate them. “I feel an overriding sense of obligation to do” grew up with all of the family stories of running the business. what talking I can toabout makewhere Rockford a betterwas place to live. I try to After the business going, he accepted. giveDoran back Company, where my employing strengths 500 allow me to make theand most Bill people nationwide 50 meaningful ” been the same. in Rockford, impact. has never His love of Rockford appreciation for itsthe excellent park Since joining in 1996,and LaFever has doubled number of system led facilities Linnabary pursue a position on the distribution (17)toand nearly tripled sales. His Rockford company Park District Boardfrom of Commissioners. Since taking office in sources fresh flowers more than 20 countries, hardgoods from Julycountries, 2011, he has actively engagedgreens in the and Reclaiming First five andbeen domestic Christmas green plants, initiative which seeks to build a downtown sports arena and and sells them to retail florists, mass market outlets and grocery expand Sportscore II in an solidify Rockford’s place in stores in 20 states. Success haseffort lead totobecoming the youngest board the regionofasthe theWholesale premier amateur president Florist &sports Floristtourism Supplierdestination. Association, Linnabary is than also800 committed to the improvement of representing more floral companies. Rockford’s public schools. He currently serves as treasurer of the LaFever says the key has been his relationships with growers Bettercountries Schools,like Brighter Future campaign. from Colombia andreferendum Ecuador, and with his “Never branch before, in my lifetime,and haveretail I seen the school district on he such managers, employees, customers. Often when hasa positivegrowers, trajectory, he said. visited he”has stayed in their homes, and shared many He has been a volunteer, director and advisor for the Rock birthdays, weddings and other important events. River Valley Rockford YMCA, Rockford of With a wifePantry, and three children 8 and under, tripsChamber around the Commerce PAC, Rockford GlobalInstead, Alliance, Friends world have become less frequent. LaFever will Forever fill the Humane Society, Artswith Council, State Legal Clock Tower ResortRockford in November flowersPrairie and products in a Services and countless state and local political campaigns. convention likely to draw several hundreds of retailers and at least When he’s working givingEcuador back toand theNew community, 50 growers, fromnot as far away asor Holland, Zealand. Linnabary in triathlons over the Midwesthas with histowife Anotherraces friendship LaFeverallstruck in Chicago lead his and three children. involvement as treasurer for the last nine years of the Chicago “My commitment to my clients is second only to my family,” Festivals Association, responsible for the McDonald’s Thanksgiving he said.in“Idowntown am invested in each one’sisprosperity, whatever Parade Chicago. He also an initial member of the measure of thatGroup, success may brings be. Mytogether job is allGeneration about achieving Next Rockford which X and positive results, and nothing is more satisfying to me than Generation Y professionals. playing a role in a client’s ” “Success has come fromsuccess. the business people who have become By Mike my friends. That’s what’s surprised me the most. ThatDeDoncker it’s been a lot
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less about the flowers, and a lot more about the people.” 2012 ByNovember Barbara Connors
“My affection for this city is pretty evident.”
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Jody Schumacher Branch Manager, RK Dixon Office Supplies
No duplicating this success What started out as a part-time job turned into a life-long passion for Jody Schumacher, branch manager of RK Dixon Office Supplies. It was 30 years ago that Schumacher was a college student in need of a job to help pay for school. So she took a telemarketing position at Northern Illinois Copy Equipment (NICE), where she sandwiched work between morning and evening classes at Rock Valley and Rockford Colleges. “It wasn’t my dream job to sell toner over the phone,” she says. “But in 1982, unemployment was 22 percent, the office technology was growing and I needed to work. I discovered that the industry fit me like a glove.” Schumacher embraced the fast pace of business and the constantly changing challenges and technological developments. Ten years later, at the age of 30, Schumacher purchased the company, becoming the first female Sharp dealer in the country. She grew NICE into a highly-profitable business and became one of Sharp’s top 10 fax dealers in the country. In 1994, Schumacher sold NICE to Danka Office Imaging Company and began working in the company’s mergers and acquisition department. She stayed on until 1998, when she decided to take a break to raise her two young children. While she enjoyed being home with her family, Schumacher missed the hustle and bustle of the business world. “I went from director of sales for Danka responsible for 11 states and 300 employees to Haley and Lucas’ mom,” she says. “It was great, but people in the community look at you differently when you don’t work. I tried to join a golf league for business women, but they wouldn’t accept me because I didn’t work.” As her children became older, Schumacher went back to work, joining RK Dixon as a sales representative. In the last three years, she has grown the managed print services department to more than 55 accounts and was recently named branch manager. “I learned that you can’t sit back in life,” she says. “It’s good to be back. It’s like I never left.” By Paul Anthony Arco 20
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“You can’t sit back in life.”
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BillBob LaFever Guirl Director, Business Development, President, Bill Doran Company Electric Systems, UTC Aerospace Systems
Relationships A space buff’s the key dream
Bill LaFever credits his mother with her “best when she talked him into moving from Bobsales Guirljob” likes to say that every meal he has
“It’s lessare about “There not flowers, more enough engineers about ” in thispeople. community. ”
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downtown Chicago and his job at Arthur Andersen LLP back eaten in his life has been paid for by products designed and to Rockford to lead the floral distribution business started by his built in Rockford. That’s because Guirl, a 51-year-old Rockford late grandfather, Bill Doran. “I enjoyed being in Chicago, and I native, has followed in his father Bill’s footsteps and spent his grew up with all of the family stories of running the business.” entire career working as an engineer for the same Rockford firm: After talking about where the business was going, he accepted. Sundstrand (now known as UTC Aerospace Systems). Bill Doran Company, employing 500 people nationwide and 50 It’s a legacy that Guirl hopes to pass not only to his son, who is in Rockford, has never been the same. studying airplane mechanics at Rock Valley College, but also to Since joining in 1996, LaFever has doubled the number of other youths in Rockford, whom he believes can find stimulating distribution facilities (17) and nearly tripled sales. His company careers in aerospace and other technical industries. To that end, sources fresh flowers from more than 20 countries, hardgoods from Guirl is helping lead the Alignment Rockford effort to transform five countries, and domestic Christmas greens and green plants, Rockford’s high schools into career-oriented academies. and sells them to retail florists, mass market outlets and grocery Guirl also has helped create the Joint Institute of Engineering stores in 20 states. Success has lead to becoming the youngest board & Technology for Aerospace (JiET-A) in Rockford to help tech president of the Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association, students find internships, financial assistance, and jobs. representing more than 800 floral companies. “There are not enough engineers in this community,” says LaFever says the key has been his relationships with growers Guirl, director of business development at UTC. “We want to from countries like Colombia and Ecuador, and with his branch tutor them, guide them, and eventually hire them.” managers, employees, and retail customers. Often when he has Guirl’s passion for aerospace was sparked by a sixth-grade visited growers, he has stayed in their homes, and shared many teacher who assigned a space-related science project. Guirl birthdays, weddings and other important events. became a space buff who was thrilled after graduating from With a wife and three children 8 and under, trips around the the University of Illinois to be offered a job working on the world have become less frequent. Instead, LaFever will fill the space shuttle by Sundstrand Corp. In the 30 years since, Guirl Clock Tower Resort in November with flowers and products in a has also worked on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus convention likely to draw several hundreds of retailers and at least A320/330/340, among others. 50 growers, from as far away as Holland, Ecuador and New Zealand. Today, when not working or volunteering, Guirl spends time Another friendship LaFever struck in Chicago has lead to his at home with his family, including his high-school sweetheart involvement as treasurer for the last nine years of the Chicago wife, a daughter, and son. That’s when he’s not traveling—often Festivals Association, responsible for the McDonald’s Thanksgiving upon aircraft he had a hand in designing. Parade in downtown Chicago. He also is an initial member of the On a recent trip to Frankfurt, he saw a 787 parked at the gate. Next Rockford Group, which brings together Generation X and “It’s neat knowing that in 2001, it was nothing more than a paper Generation Y professionals. concept. Today it’s carrying passengers. There’s a reward you get “Success has come from the business people who have become when you see that. It’s a moving experience.” my friends. That’s what’s surprised me the most. That it’s been a lot By Lorna Collier less about the flowers, and a lot more about the people.” 2012 » 21 ByNovember Barbara Connors
Amy Brewer Vice President of Commercial Banking, Riverside Community Bank
Legacy of giving back When you visit Amy Brewer at Riverside Community Bank, don’t be surprised by the mirror ball trophy in her office. It’s evidence of funds she raised in 2010 for Family Counseling Services of Rockford as a duo in Dancing with the Rockford Stars. Brewer won Judges’ Choice, despite admitting that dancing in front of a crowd is a bit out of her comfort zone. Giving back is an attitude that Brewer grew up with, as daughter of a City of Rockford police officer. It’s an attitude she’s instilled in her children, who help neighbors, and volunteer for Salvation Army projects. In addition to participating in many boards and community projects, Brewer has used her banking knowledge to teach budgeting to students in Junior Achievement. The topic hits home, with two of three children getting ready for college. “I tell the students that if they decide to drop out of high school, take a look at the want ads, find a job and look at what it pays. Now find a place to live, and let’s do a budget. Don’t forget to take out money for taxes. When they realize what is left, it makes them think.” As Salvation Army board past chairman, Brewer helped secure a 24-unit apartment building to house women recovering from substance addiction and criminal history through the Women’s Restorative Justice Program. Through the program women learn life skills, complete their education, secure a job and are reunited with their children to become productive members of our community. Her interest in others also is evident in her role as commercial vice president. Her best day is “out working with businesses, where they show me what they do best.” Brewer shares her knowledge on the regulatory, economic and technical changes to help clients run their businesses. “Businesses face many challenges today. It’s not just about giving out the loan; it’s about discussing succession planning, employee retirement planning and personal needs. It’s about connecting clients to the right people, and the resources available to them.” By Barbara Connors 22
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“It’s about connecting clients to the right people.”
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Bill LaFever President, Bill Doran Company
Relationships the key Bill LaFever credits his mother with her “best sales job” when she talked him into moving from
“It’s less about flowers, more about people.”
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Chicago and andhis hisjob jobatatArthur ArthurAndersen Andersen LLP back downtown Chicago LLP back to to Rockford to lead floral distribution business started bylate his Rockford to lead thethe floral distribution business started by his late grandfather, Bill Doran. “I enjoyed being in Chicago, and I grandfather, Bill Doran. grew with all of the family stories500 of people runningnationwide the business. BillupDoran Company, employing and” After talking about wherebeen the business 50 in Rockford, has never the same.was going, he accepted. BillSince Doranjoining Company, employing nationwide and 50 in 1996, LaFever500 haspeople doubled the number of in Rockford,facilities has never(17) been thenearly same.tripled sales. His company distribution and Sincefresh joining in from 1996,more LaFever doubled hardgoods the number of sources flowers than has 20 countries, from distribution facilities (17) andChristmas nearly tripled company five countries, and domestic greenssales. and His green plants, sources flowers from more than countries, hardgoods from and sellsfresh them to retail florists, mass20market outlets and grocery five countries, andSuccess domestic Christmas greensthe and green plants, stores in 20 states. has lead to becoming youngest board and sells them retail florists, mass marketSupplier outlets and grocery president of thetoWholesale Florist & Florist Association, stores in 20 states. has leadcompanies. to becoming the youngest board representing moreSuccess than 800 floral president of says the Wholesale Supplierwith Association, LaFever the key hasFlorist been & hisFlorist relationships growers representing more 800 floral from countries likethan Colombia andcompanies. Ecuador, and with his branch LaFeveremployees, says the key hasretail beencustomers. his relationships with growers managers, and Often when he has from countries Colombia Ecuador, andand with his branch visited growers, like he has stayed and in their homes, shared many managers, weddings employees, retail customers. Often when he has birthdays, andand other important events. visited he has stayed in their homes, many Withgrowers, a wife and three children 8 and under,and tripsshared around the birthdays, important events. world haveweddings becomeand lessother frequent. Instead, LaFever will fill the With a wife and three childrenwith 8 and under,and trips aroundinthea Clock Tower Resort in November flowers products world have likely become less several frequent. Instead,ofLaFever the convention to draw hundreds retailers will and fill at least Clock Towerfrom Resort November withEcuador flowers and New products in a 50 growers, as farinaway as Holland, Zealand. convention to draw severalstruck hundreds of retailers Anotherlikely friendship LaFever in Chicago has and leadattoleast his 50 growers, from as far awayfor as the Holland, Ecuador and involvement as treasurer last nine years ofNew the Zealand. Chicago Another friendship LaFever struck Chicago has lead to his Festivals Association, responsible for theinMcDonald’s Thanksgiving involvement as treasurer for the the Chicago Parade in downtown Chicago. He last also nine is an years initial of member of the Festivals Association, responsible for the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Next Rockford Group, which brings together Generation X and Parade in downtown Chicago. He also is an initial member of the Generation Y professionals. Next“Success Rockford which together X and has Group, come from thebrings business peopleGeneration who have become Generation professionals. my friends. Y That’s what’s surprised me the most. That it’s been a lot come and froma the business people who have less“Success about thehas flowers, lot more about the people. ” become my friends. That’s what’s surprised me the most. That it’s been a lot By Barbara Connors less about the flowers, and a lot more about the people.” 2012 » 23 ByNovember Barbara Connors
Jeff Layng President – Business Banking, JPMorgan Chase Bank
Developing financial chops Thirty years ago, when someone joined a bank, his job description included being known in the community. Get on some boards, get your face and your name out there, new hires were told. “Where it was not uncommon for bankers to be on 4 or 5 boards, today that level of involvement is unusual,” says Jeff Layng, who is president of JPMorgan Chase Bank in Rockford and the region from McHenry County to the Quad Cities. Layng, who has led local Chase operations through enormous banking changes, won’t give up his community service. Newcomers at regional Chase banks are urged to serve on boards of non-profits that interest them and introduce them to a broader section of the community. Currently on the boards of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois and the Rockford Area Economic Development Council, Layng also makes sure Chase is a financial contributor to local causes. Layng praises his banking team, which he describes as “highenergy, customer-focused people who are smart and fun to work with.” Together, they help local businesses grow. “It’s one of the most satisfying things we do,” Layng says, pointing to a company he helped with a start-up loan in 1998. Today that firm is being sold for millions of dollars. Helping business, Layng points out, helps us all. A graduate of Jefferson High School and Augustana College, Layng returned to Rockford after three years with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. He joined First National which became Bank One which became JPMorgan Chase. He’s glad he came back home. “This community embraces its own.” he says, “and it’s easy to make a difference.” Layng relaxes off-duty with music. He learned to play trumpet in sixth grade and has been a part of several jazz groups. By Geri Nikolai 24
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“This community embraces its own.”
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Sarah Wolf Executive Director, Discovery Center Museum
For the Joy of Learning Sarah Wolf has participated in many community boards, but when you boil it down, it’s
“I want Rockford to have the best experiences for families.”
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all been about educating and inspiring kids. The former elementary school teacher was a member of the Rockford Area Arts Council board and Junior League of Rockford when she volunteered for a committee to develop a children’s museum. In 1981, the museum opened with a handful of interactive exhibits in the old post office building basement in downtown Rockford. In 1985, Wolf became Discovery Center Museum’s first (and only) executive director. Under her leadership, the interactive learning center now is recognized as a top children’s museum. Attendance has hit 170,000 visitors from all 50 states and worldwide. The National Geographic Society named it the nation’s seventh best children’s museum in 2009. Forbes magazine named it one of the nation’s 12 best children’s museums in 2011. Wolf further elevated the museum’s status when she co-edited, “Handbook for Small Science Centers,” in 2006. “I have been motivated by wanting Rockford to have the best experiences for our families, and this certainly includes the best museum possible,” Wolf said. “My greatest pleasure comes from observing our visitors, young and old, and seeing the joy they get from having fun while learning.” Wolf has led two capital campaigns. The most recent $3 million campaign led to the 2010 museum expansion, with a shared traveling exhibit hall, expanded Tot Spot Gallery, AgZibit agricultural exhibit, program and special events hall (Kresge Hall), outdoor courtyard along the Rock River, and expanded planetarium. Wolf also is committed to her work on the Illinois Association of Museums Board, the Alignment Rockford Executive Committee, and the Fit Families Task Force. “I have the privilege of working with an amazing staff and many talented, generous, truly fantastic board members and volunteers. This museum is here because of so many caring people, businesses and organizations.” By Barbara Connors November 2012
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Mark Hunter Coordinator, Black Male Health Program Winnebago County Health Department
Bringing health care to the community Martin Luther King called the death rate among black men “the most shocking and most inhuman” inequality in America. Mark Hunter agrees. “Black males live sicker and die younger than any other group,” says Hunter, coordinator of the Black Male Health Program for the Winnebago County Health Department. “The question is why black men don’t access the kind of health care white males receive,” said Hunter. “The answer is complicated but it includes access to care, insurance, trust issues, and socioeconomic barriers.” Hunter attacks the problem on two fronts. With groups of volunteers, he takes education and screening programs to black churches, barber shops, community events, soup kitchens and elsewhere. The program has saved lives of men who sought care after a screening showed them in danger from heart disease, cancer, HIV-AIDS or diabetes. Hunter’s other goal is to help create healthy living environments. This covers a wide spectrum, including a safe neighborhood, the opportunity to get a job, green, walkable space near homes, even having a grocery nearby. “If the only food available to you is from a convenience store, you’re not going to be eating fresh fruits or vegetables,” Hunter says. A Rockford native, Hunter returned here after graduating from Morehouse College because of his father’s health issues. “He was a typical, hard-working man. He always had two or three jobs, he took care of his family, he didn’t abuse alcohol or smoke,” says Hunter. But when it came to his hypertension and diabetes, “he did his own thing, the way he had all his life,” says Hunter. His father, who played “matchmaker” for Hunter and his wife, Shurice, died on Hunter’s first day on the job with the Health Department in 2001. That has deepened Hunter’s commitment. “I have always had a passion for public health advocacy,” he says, “This job means a lot to me because of what I do, and what it can mean to people like my dad.” 26
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“I have a passion for public health advocacy.”
By Geri Nikolai
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Dan Cataldi Executive Director, EIGERlab
A wealth of business expertise If you ever feel discouraged about the business outlook in Rockford, drive over to EIGERlab and ask Dan Cataldi for a tour. Cataldi is an entrepreneur who assists and encourages other
“I have an affinity for the entrepreneur.”
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entrepreneurs at EIGERlab. With its partners, Rock Valley College and the Rockford Area Economic Development Council, EIGERlab provides low-rent space, training and other assistance for people who have a good idea for a new business. Cataldi can show you a table full of prototypes, ranging from kitchen gadgets to aerospace parts, which EIGERlab has turned out for local entrepreneurs. One may turn out to be the next B/E Aerospace Enterprise story. Five years ago, B/E existed only in the minds of entrepreneurs and “incubator” space it rented cheap from EIGERlab. It had two employees. Last month, it moved into a new building with 74 employees who design and build vacuum waste systems for private jets. Since taking over as EIGERlab executive director three years ago, Cataldi has defined and focused on a narrow mission: Help develop business wealth and jobs in the Rockford area. To that end, EIGERlab offers: “Normally, seven out of 10 new small businesses fail,” says Cataldi. “We’re looking to make that five or six through EIGERlab.” Cataldi, whose background includes human resources, executive recruiting, and redesigning businesses, has put off retirement to move EIGERlab to a sound footing where it can operate without government grants. “I have run my own business, including start-ups, for 30-plus years,“ he says. “I have an affinity for the entrepreneur and business risk-taker. They deal with money struggles, people struggles, product struggles and, at the end of the day, they’re the janitor and the last to be paid,” he said. “But they have a dream.” EIGERlab exists to turn those dreams into hard cash and paying jobs. By Geri Nikolai November 2012
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Christie Stenstrom Jarrett Director of HR and Marketing, Stenstrom Companies, Ltd.
Building community ties There’s a relationship between strong family and strong ties to community service for Christie Stenstrom Jarrett. Jarrett and her brother Robert J. Stenstrom are thirdgeneration owners and operators of the Stenstrom Companies. She enjoys the diversity of the company’s five divisions and the fact that, as director of human resources and marketing, she is involved in all of them. “Growing up with parents who were involved in the community and knowing that the community has given us a lot of opportunities has really motivated me,” Jarrett said. Meeting and dating her husband, Ehren, now an administrator in Rockford’s public schools, also influenced her community involvement – specifically as a member and three-year president of the board of the Golden Apple Foundation. “Here was this organization that put teachers up in the limelight,” Jarrett said, “and I thought, ‘Gosh, I know all of these great teachers that I’ve met over the years.’ I wanted to be a part of that.” During her 11 years on the foundation’s board, Jarrett has helped lead its expansion to making teachers throughout Winnebago and Boone counties eligible for the award. Jarrett is currently a YWCA board member and an ambassador for Rockford Health System. She was a charter member of the operating committee of Alignment Rockford and a member of the Rockford Area Economic Development Leadership Council. She was instrumental in creating a work environment that earned Stenstrom the Loyola University Family Business Award in 2009 and led efforts for enhanced employee benefits and improvement in employee safety that resulted in a Pacesetter Award from their insurance carrier the following year. “There are a lot of great community boards and foundations in Rockford,” she said. “However, I have really focused on education because education has always been important to me.” By Mike DeDoncker 28
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“Education has always been important to me.”
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Scott Sullivan Partner, WilliamsMcCarthy LLP
Bargaining on Rockford Scott Sullivan’s office at WilliamsMcCarthy LLP provides him with a spectacular view of Rockford’s riverfront and downtown east side. It’s a perfect place for the law firm’s partner who has earned
“You can make a difference, if you get active.”
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national recognition in commercial litigation and business law by protecting the intellectual properties and assets of Rockford companies. “It’s pretty easy from this vantage point to get enthused about our future,” said Sullivan, who cited the Prairie Street Brewhouse renovation, City Market, a new federal courthouse and school district improvements. “I think we need to recognize the many benefits that we have in this community. It’s an easy sell for me when I have clients come into my office.” In October 2011, Sullivan’s work earned him induction as a Fellow of the Litigation Council of America, a trial lawyer honorary society whose membership is limited to less than half of one percent of American lawyers. Sullivan has been a founding officer and director of the Friends of the Coronado Theatre that led to an $18.5 million renovation of Rockford’s most historic theatre, a director of the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and chair of the committee that led to hiring Steven Larsen as music director, and a director of the Rockford Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and a member of the committee that led to hiring John Groh as president and CEO. He has also held directors positions with the Rockford Area Arts Council and the Natural Land Institute. He has been a long-time trustee of the Smith Charitable Foundation, and a past member of the Advisory Board of Prairie State Legal Services and of the Legal Audit Committee of United Way. “I think all of us have an obligation to try to make the community a better place when we leave it than when we came,” Sullivan said. “It’s often been said that Rockford is a big small town, and I think it is, but it does afford one the opportunity to make a difference if you want to get active.” By Mike DeDoncker November 2012
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Tim Knauf Division President, Williams Manny Inc.
Insuring a strong legacy Tim Knauf was just 7 years old when his granddad observed: “He talks so much, he’s going to grow up to be an insurance salesman. And all that energy … you might have to chain him to the clothes line.” Nearly 40 years later, except for the part about the clothes line, it’s all true. Knauf has become one of the most successful sales professionals in the insurance business and his energy hasn’t diminished. After earning an economics degree at the University of Illinois, Knauf took a job that involved driving the back roads of southern Illinois to the farms and homes of policyholders. He tried to convince them to upgrade their coverage. “That certainly helped you figure out how to sell,” he says as he tells story after story of some of the characters he met. “It was a learning experience.” A Rockford native, Knauf and several partners started Midwest Life and Health Group in Rockford. Within eight years, Midwest had grown to a firm of 30 employees. Today, Knauf is a partner at Williams-Manny, which merged with Midwest in 2007. He also serves as president of the Employee Benefits Division. What he learned as a green salesman just out of college still works, he says. “I have told more than one potential customer not to buy from me, that they were adequately covered and didn’t need more insurance,” he says. “To be successful in this business,“ he says, “you have to get people to trust you and believe that you will do the right thing for them.” The energy his grandfather talked about is still there, too. After work. Knauf goes home to his wife, Theresa, and their five children ages 7 to 17. The kids have just as much energy as he does. That means multiple commitments to sports, arts and school-related events each evening. Knauf coaches some of his children’s teams, too. “I have fun, that’s why I do it,” he says. “I call it life coaching. How these boys handle the game, their teammates, the refs and their coach is how they’re going to handle life when they’re adults.” By Geri Nikolai 30
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“People need to believe you will do the right thing for them.”
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Lisa Miles Business Development Manager, The Barbara Olson Center of Hope
Right place, right time For Lisa Miles, the best part of the day is seeing all the smiles as participants walk past her in the hallway. Miles is the business development manager for the Barbara
“Every day, I have a true purpose and a goal.”
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Olson Center of Hope, a non-profit human services agency, which provides day training services and employment opportunities for teens and adults with developmental disabilities. Miles oversees the organization’s Super Shredders document destruction business and Hope Industries light industrial and manufacturing unit, which bring in additional income for the agency and employment for the participants who attend the center. After spending more than 20 years as a manager in the transportation industry, Miles decided a career change was in order, when her teenage daughter objected to her mother’s demanding travel schedule. Miles quit her job and spent the next year plotting her next move. “It made me recognize that I needed to spend time with my family,” says Miles, who is married with two children. “It’s not always about the job, the money or the success of the individual. My family missed me, and it was time for me to step back and revisit where I had been and where I wanted to go.” Five years ago, she joined the Center of Hope as the only employee of the Super Shredders division, managing the shredding work on the dock, scheduling and driving to the pick-ups of documents to be destroyed and calling on potential customers for their business. Since then, business has grown significantly. “I have been respected by my management team to be creative and appreciated for my efforts,” she says. “It’s a much different environment.” Working with an intellectually challenged population has added much to Miles’ life. “Every day I have a true purpose and a goal, to not only work with the participants, but to seek opportunities for all,” she says. “This not only is my mission, it’s my passion. I have found the perfect balance. I’m happy and I’m in a very good place in my life.” By Paul Anthony Arco November 2012
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Dr. John Koehler President, Physician’s Immediate Care
Delivering prompt care Dr. John Koehler’s grandfather was a genetics professor who gave his grandson the sage advice – invest in what you know. That’s exactly what the younger Koehler did 25 years ago, when he founded Physicians Immediate Care, the nation’s 12th largest private operator of urgent care clinics with facilities in Illinois, including Rockford, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Next year, the clinic will open at least three more facilities in Indiana and up to one per month in targeted markets. Urgent care centers treat non-life threatening illnesses and injuries and are typically open 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day, to treat walk-in patients. “People like the easy access. It’s convenient,” he says. A Pittsburgh native, Koehler met his wife, Dena, a Rockford native, at Wheaton College. In 1986, they moved to Rockford, where Koehler accepted a position as an emergency room physician at SwedishAmerican Health System. “I asked my wife, ‘Where are all the urgent care centers in Rockford,’” he says. “She said, ‘What’s that?’” Koehler opened his first immediate care clinic on Morsay Drive. In 2004, Koehler co-founded the Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA), the industry’s trade association that provides leadership, education and resources to more than 3,200 members around the world. For the past 7 years, Koehler has traveled to impoverished areas of the world with the Circle of Love Foundation, an organization started by retired surgeon Dr. Helen Laib, which provides free medical care to those in need. And there’s more work to be done. Next year, Koehler is opening a small hospital in rural India, with colleagues Drs. Terry Buzzard and David Stern. Closer to home, he serves as the volunteer medical director for the Rockford Rescue Mission. “God has blessed my life,” says the father of eight. “I believe it’s important to give back in whatever ways we can.” By Paul Anthony Arco 32
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“Invest in what you know.”
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Dr. Bill Gorski President and CEO, SwedishAmerican Health System
A stabilizing force When Dr. Bill Gorski was a freshman in medical school at the University of Cincinnati, he received a call one day to his professor’s office. Gorski was struggling in chemistry. He said to me, ‘Mr. Gorski, I’m not sure you have what it takes
“It’s about caring where you live.”
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to be a doctor, but we’ll give you another chance,’” he recalls. “That motivated me to do my best. If it didn’t work out, that was okay. Everything is a process and then you move on.” Gorski got through medical school just fine thanks to his positive attitude. It came in handy again in 2001, when he became president and CEO of SwedishAmerican Health System after Dr. Robert Klint became seriously ill. Gorski was a familiar face — he had been with the system as a practicing physician since 1980 and later became president of the SwedishAmerican Medical Group in 1994. “I was stunned and scared,” he says. “But I felt a sense of duty and I was going to give it my best. I love this organization. I had a great leadership team and an unbelievable board of directors. And I wasn’t afraid to ask stupid questions.” Under Gorski’s watch, SwedishAmerican has grown tremendously, including the addition of the Heart Hospital, the SwedishAmerican Medical Center in Belvidere and a new cancer treatment center that will be built on Bell School Road, as part of a partnership with the University of Wisconsin Hospital System. His passion extends into the community. Gorski is this year’s United Way campaign chair. He was a member of Alignment Rockford organization, the Executive Committee of the Rockford Economic Development Council and he chaired the Leadership Council’s “Emerging Opportunities” program. He is co-chair with Dr. Robert Head, president of Rockford College, of the Better Schools Brighter Future Committee in support of the upcoming District 205 bond referendum. Giving back, Gorski says, is necessary for Rockford to thrive. “It’s about caring where you live,” he says. “We take that mission seriously at SwedishAmerican Health System. The health of our community is important.” By Paul Anthony Arco November 2012
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Saul Arteaga Director, Southern Wisconsin Interpreting and Translation Services
American dream fulfilled Saul Arteaga was excited just to breathe the air in America when he came here from his native country, Peru, as a 19-year-old with $20 in his pocket. “It was always my dream to come to America,” says Arteaga. He quickly got a job, then an education and a successful business—an interpretation and translation firm serving northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Arteaga left nearly everyone he knew in his native Peru when he came here in 1989. He saved money to buy a car and take classes at a community college and later earn a degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Arteaga married and started a family that includes four children. He worked as an interpreter for court and health agencies, as well as a crisis intervention specialist. In 2002, he started Southern Wisconsin Interpreting and Translation Services (SWITS). The firm provides spoken and sign language interpreting and written translations. Arteaga has about 150 interpreters on call, employing 30 to 35 of them each day. The field of language interpretation is growing and Arteaga has been one of the leaders in the movement to professionalize
“Interpreters need to understand cultures, not just words.”
the business. Interpreters need to be trained and certified, he says, to show they understand cultures as well as words. For Arteaga, the American dream means giving back, too. He has served on many interpreting panels, including the Wisconsin Supreme Court Committee to Improve Court Interpretation and Translation. One of his favorite causes is the Beloit International Film Festival; he also contributes to suicide prevention and awareness by helping sponsor the Out of the Darkness walk held in Rockford each year. By Geri Nikolai 34
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Paula Carynski Vice President for Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center
My defining moment
“If they’re successful, I’m successful.”
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The pivotal point in Paula Carynski’s career came early on when she was a registered nurse working in the cardiology unit at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center. It was Christmas Eve and Carynski was caring for an elderly patient who had been unresponsive for a long period of time. Hoping some holiday spirit might help, Carynski called in a group of visiting carolers to sing Silent Night. “As they were singing, my patient opened her eyes and smiled,” she says. “It was such an unbelievable moment. Sadly, she passed away a few hours later, but I knew at that time I belonged in health care. God put me exactly where I was supposed to be.” That was 27 years ago and Carynski is still where she’s supposed to be. Today, she’s vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer at OSF. Carynski oversees nursing operations, surgical and ambulatory care services, the Center for Cancer Care, radiology, pharmacy, laboratory and rehabilitative services. She’s responsible for more than 1,200 employees and a $160 million budget. Carynski also chairs the OSF Saint Anthony Women’s Advisory Board and has coordinated several building projects including the OSF Ambulatory Care Center and the Women’s Diagnostic Center. “I get the most enjoyment from the people that I lead,” she says. “The best part of my job is seeing other people do well. If they’re successful, I’m successful. We all win.” Carynski grew up in the country near Lena, Ill., where she and her eight siblings learned the value of hard work from their parents. She lives in Rockford with her husband and two teenage children. She is deeply involved in the community, serving such organizations as Rosecrance, the Rockford Health Council and Junior Achievement. “My father always said, ‘Have a passion for your career.’ I truly love what I do.” By Paul Anthony Arco November 2012
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Peter Provenzano President and CEO, SupplyCore, Inc.
Hometown pride Peter Provenzano’s favorite quote comes from Louis Pasteur who said, “Chance favors only the prepared mind.” “There’s an element of luck to success, but it’s preparedness and awareness that’s able to connect the dots,” he says. “When an opportunity presents itself, you have to take advantage of it.” Provenzano is president of SupplyCore Inc., a logistics and government contracting company headquartered in Rockford. SupplyCore started in 1987 as a one-room, family operation that served as a distributor to the aerospace and defense industries. Ten years later, SupplyCore began offering integrated logistic solutions and web-based procurement for maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) materials. This year, SupplyCore is celebrating its 25th anniversary. It has nearly 100 employees and distributes supplies and tactical vehicle parts to customers worldwide with offices in Japan, Okinawa, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Djibouti, California, Missouri, Ohio, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. “The SupplyCore culture is one of a strong work ethic,” says Provenzano. “We have many different backgrounds on our team. While we’re working in different regions of the world, we do it with integrity and pride. I’m proud of our team approach.” Provenzano, a Rockford native, graduated from Boylan High School. While he’s had numerous opportunities to relocate his company, Provenzano remains true to his hometown. “A community is what shapes a person,” he says. “Growing up my father would say, ‘You can’t let parts of your city die. I feel a sense of responsibility to my community. There are many good attributes here. It would be easy to go somewhere else, but it’s rewarding to be part of a journey to make a place like Rockford, that’s already good, even better.” To help make his community better, Provenzano has been a driving force behind the revitalization of Rockford’s downtown, including starting the popular City Market. “When I travel and see strong communities they always have a vibrant downtown area,” he says. “Our downtown can be a unique feature to our region. We should celebrate its potential.” By Paul Anthony Arco 36
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“A community is what shapes a person.”
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Phil Eaton President and CEO, Rosecrance Health Network
Mind over matter Every year at the Rosecrance staff picnic, Phil Eaton shares the story of Dr. James Rosecrance, a country doctor who started an orphanage in 1916 for homeless and neglected boys, giving them a place to stay and a direction in life. Today, that orphanage has grown into so much more. Rosecrance
“For many people, recovery is a miracle.”
is a private not-for-profit organization providing behavioral health services for children, adolescents, adults and families through inpatient and outpatient programs. Rosecrance has more than 20 locations in Rockford and Chicago, offering addiction and mental health services to more than 14,000 families each year. Rosecrance has 600 employees and a $50 million budget. “We have hundreds of staff members who have that fire in their belly and are committed to the mission,” he says. “We wouldn’t be here without them.” Eaton’s passion for helping others started as a teenager through his church’s youth group, where he volunteered to help the homeless in downtown Chicago. “I felt a yearning and a passion to impact the lives of others,” says Eaton, who grew up in Park Ridge, a suburb of Chicago, and credits faith, family and scouting as the keys to his success. In 1971, Eaton joined Rosecrance as a social worker, during a time when substance abuse was seen mainly as a symptom of another problem rather than the underlying problem itself. Eleven years later, Eaton was named president and CEO and the organization changed its mission to offer adolescent addiction treatment. Under his leadership, Rosecrance opened Northern Illinois’ first chemical dependency treatment center for adolescents and Illinois’ only licensed recovery homes for female adolescents. In 1997, Rosecrance started long-term teen recovery homes – a handful of such facilities in the country. In 2004, Rosecrance’s Griffin Williamson Campus, a new 78-bed treatment center for adolescents, became the largest adolescent inpatient treatment program in Illinois. “I’m still humbled by our clients, many of whom have had difficult lives,” he says. “We give them a venue to make changes in their lives. For many people recovery is a miracle.” By Paul Anthony Arco
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The Selection Committee
Romero Bennett, Blue Sky Insurance
Andy Benson, Benson Stone Company
Veronica Blake, UTC Aerospace Systems
Joe Castrogiovanni, Giovanni’s
Kelly Davit, The Alliance
Craig Thomas, Reno & Zahm LLP
Jennifer Wood, Sikich LLP
Brian McIntyre, Rock Valley College
Thank you
to our People You Should Know committee who dedicated time and effort to make the difficult choices.
Dan O’Boyle, Coyle-Varland Insurance Agency
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The Venue
The Prairie Street Brewhouse on
continued into prohibition before getting
docks and a full marina. In 2009, events
Madison Street downtown Rockford provided the backdrop for our People You Should Know photography and the location of the celebratory reception. The Prairie Street Brewhouse has quite a storied history... Originally built as the Peacock Brewery in the 1850s, it later became Rockford Brewing Company. Operations
shut down sometime in 1918. The owners quickly transitioned the building to a state of the art cold storage facility, leveraging the refrigeration that was still in place from the brewery. In the 1980s, the building contained a woodworking shop, an antique store and several machine shops. The late 1990s brought the construction of the deck and
started taking place in the building and a full renovation of the event space followed in early 2011. Construction on the rest of the building is now underway, bringing 11 condos, 2 restaurants, office and retail space to the building. In January 2012, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Proud. Brian Thomas Photography and V2 Marketing Communications: Two companies that worked together to help create One publication. And proud to help represent the People You Should Know.
815-395-1105 brianthomasphotography.com
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815-397-6052 marketingV2.com November 2012
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Meet the Writers Paul Anthony Arco is the senior staff writer for Northwest Quarterly Magazine, and frequent contributor to the Chamber newspaper, The VOICE. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Bloomberg News, Rockford Register Star and many others. For more information, visit paulanthonyarco.com.
Lorna Collier is a freelance writer whose credits include the Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago Business, MSN. com, and many others. She is co-author of “Tilli’s Story: My Thoughts Are Free,” and has worked as a reporter for the Rockford Register Star, associate editor at Rockford Magazine, and news producer at WTVO-17. Barbara Connors, M.S., journalism, University of Illinois, is an editor and writer with 20+ years of experience in newspapers, magazines, and newsletters, including The VOICE, Illinois Farmer, Wisconsin CPA, and the Rockford Register Star. She’s done extensive work leading committees, seminars and special projects, and currently is gaining health care experience with the near completion of her BSN degree.
Mike DeDoncker, B.S., Journalism, Southern Illinois University, 1969 is a freelance writer, joined the staff of Rockford Newspapers, Inc. in 1969 and held several reporting and editing positions with the Rockford Register Star until July of 2011.
Geri Nikolai is a freelance writer who spent 40 years in the newsrooms of Rockford Register Star and Wausau, Wis., Daily Herald, She’s been a Rockfordian since 1986.
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Congratulations! The Rockford Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors would like to extend their congratulations to the 2012 Twenty “People You Should Know!”
Your Rockford Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Romero Bennett Blue Sky Insurance Agency
Andrew Benson Benson Stone Company
Ryan Brauns Rockford Consulting & Brokerage
Larry Bridgeland Mid-City Office Products
Michael Broski Entré Computer Solutions
Paul Callighan ComEd, An Exelon Company
Joe Castrogiovanni Giovanni’s
J Chapman Maverick Media
Rena Cotsones Northern Illinois University
Janyce Fadden Rockford Area Economic Development Council
Darlene Furst Furst Staffing
John Groh Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Penny Lechtenberg Hinshaw & Culbertson
Pam Maher KMK Media Group
Mike Mastroianni Rock Valley College
Paul McCann Stanley Steemer of Rockford
Patrick Morrow Alpine Bank
Mark Peterson CBL Associates CherryVale
Tim Rollins WilliamsMcCarthy
Dan Saavedra Saavedra Gehlhausen Architects
Henry Seybold Rockford Health System
Patrick Shaw McGladrey
Somchan Thatsanaphon K-I Machine Tool & Production Inc.
Patti Thayer Thayer Lighting
Rich Walsh SwedishAmerican Health System
Tim White UTC Aerospace Systems
Jennifer Wood Sikich LLP
Richard Zumwalt OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center
Visit us online rockfordchamber.com