
Local leaders Carol Gieske, Melissa Hernandez and Jennifer Fukala will present the state of local business taking place in the Northern Kane County and Elgin areas during free guest day at the next WIM Fox Valley meeting on Thursday, November 8, 2018 at Emmett's Brewing Co. at 128 West Main Street in West Dundee.
Networking begins at 11:30 a.m., with luncheon and program at noon. Meetings adjourn at 1:00 p.m. Cost for members is $25.00 and non members - $28.00. Area women in business who are interested in learning about WIM Fox Valley and network with other community business leaders are welcome to register for this month's free guest day.
To register click here.
Gieske, president of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce since 2012, collaborates, promotes, and businesses throughout the Elgin area. She provides leadership, builds consensus, and develops strong relationships with key stakeholders and ensures the Chamber is relevant, impactful and purposeful to its members and the community. In 2014, the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce was named among the Top 3% of all Chambers nationwide. She serves on numerous boards in the Elgin area and has received many business honors, including two Elgin Area YWCA Leader Luncheon awards and Influential Women in Business - Business Ledger. In 2018, Gieske was named the Altrusa Club of Elgin's 69th Annual Woman of the Year for her valued service to the community.
Hernandez has served as Northern Kane County Chamber of Commerce president for the past 12 years. She has participated on committees for several of the villages represented by the chamber, including Business Development for the Village of Carpentersville and the Business Planning Committee for the Village of Gilberts. She is a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Dundee Township and Consumer Credit Counseling of Northern Illinois and president-elect of the Carpentersville Morning Rotary. She is also a mentor for the incubator program hosted at Dundee Crown High School and a member of the Thom McNamee St. Patrick's Day committee.
Fukala is executive director of the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin. After becoming a homeowner in Elgin, Fukala, a Larkin High School graduate, became heavily involved in the Elgin volunteer community. She served as the President of her neighborhood association, working with Neighborhood Housing Services and on area events such as the Historic Elgin House tour. Her passion for volunteerism grew into an opportunity for her to work for the improvement of the community through her full-time position with the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin.