​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.

​This month's WIM Fox Valley sponsor is the organization's co-founder Pat Szpekowski, APR, president of PR Strategies and PmS advertising, inc. in Elgin. The award-winning advertising agency/public relations firm specializes in professional writing, media relations, creative graphic design and custom candid event photography. A supporter of local business organizations, Szpekowski is current board member and former board chair of the Northern Kane County Chamber of Commerce and past board member of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce.

WIM Fox Valley (WIM) presents “It’s Never Too Late to Start Your Own Business” with WIM member Carrie Chicoine, owner, ICONIC ALLSTARS, on Thursday, October 11, 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 are welcome to attend this month’s presentation. 

To register click here.

A nurse by trade, Chicoine transitioned into a business owner of ICONIC ALLSTARS, a competitive Allstar cheer facility, formerly known as Cheer Alliance, located in St. Charles, IL.  

ICONIC ALLSTARS provides a sport activity for children of all ages and levels, as an activity that stresses the importance of team players and individual goals.  

Chicoine said that she and her two daughters, Melanie and Jessica, were involved with cheer for 7 years at Cheer Alliance. When the opportunity presented itself at just the right time, she took over the business in its 11th season. She relished in her new venture and rebranded the name to make the business her own.

“I have come to realize that this has always been my passion and I am proud of what I have accomplished,” added Chicoine.  She will share her enthusiasm about starting her own business and nothing that “it is never too late to start your own business”.

In addition, Chicoine started the not-for-profit Cheer Alliance-Together Strong Foundation (CATS) to fund raise for their athletes and help support their Special Needs Team, which practices once a week at their facility and competes at local competitions.

​Sponsor for this month’s meeting is WIM member Melissa Davidson, CPA of Porte Brown LLC, a full service accounting and consulting firm headquartered in Elk Grove Village with offices in Elgin, McHenry, Evanston, and Tinley Park. For more than 70 years, Porte Brown has focused on the highest level of service to individuals, businesses and organizations throughout the region. In addition to the traditional accounting services, such as tax planning and preparation, audit, business valuations, and retirement plan administration, Porte Brown also provides strategic consulting and leading-edge technology implementation for clients in cloud and non-cloud environments.

Ann Louis, president of Louis Consulting, Inc. in Elgin, has been named the 2018-19 president of WIM Fox Valley, a leading women's business organization in Elgin. It provides professional development, business education scholarships and mentoring opportunities for area women.
She joined WIM Fox Valley (formerly known as Women in Management) in its founding year in 1984 and resumed her membership in 2010 . Louis has served as treasurer, secretary, vice-president and membership co-chair.

"I have enjoyed my membership with WIM and have been inspired by our membership and impressed with our varied speakers and presentations," Louis said. "It is an honor to be president and I look forward to the support and collaboration of our members. We look forward to growing our membership and scholarship fund affiliated with the Elgin Community College Foundation."

"We invite business women in our community to join us, network, and make new connections ," adds Louis, "and become inspired by our upcoming speakers and programs that bring top level and timely topics."

A CPA for over 36 years, Louis provides accounting and financial services to nonprofit organizations. In her career, she has worked with a Big 8 accounting firm and a nonprofit organization for nearly 20 years. She has taught accounting courses at the university level.

A resident of Campton Hills, Louis is married, has three grown sons and two grandchildren. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Illinois CPA Society, and St. Patrick Catholic Church finance committee.

​WIM Fox Valley (WIM) kicks off its year of speakers on Thursday, September 13, 2018 with Jaime Hjelm, Owner of A Taxicab Leasing Corp. (A#1 Cab Dispatch) and Co-Owner of Wicked Wrench Co. 

The new meeting location for luncheons is Emmett’s Brewing Co. at 128 West Main Street in West Dundee with networking at 11:30 a.m., 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 are welcome to attend this month’s presentation.

​To register click here.

Hjelm started in the taxi business at age 15 learning dispatch communications. She dispatched weekends, holidays and summer breaks until she was 24. By the age of 19, she owned many taxicabs on the A#1 Cab Fleet, leasing them out to drivers. She learned mechanics, building all the transmissions for the taxi fleet cars for over 20 years. Hjelm ran the A#1 fleet mechanic garage for 6 years as the lead mechanic, 2008-2014.

She has helped many municipalities write and edit taxi ordinances. She is a taxi meter dealer, one of five in Illinois who can certify meters. She also gauges what the taxi rates should be, and has been doing so for almost 20 years. She personally interviews every driver that leases an A#1 Cab.

Hjelm’s newest business is Wicked Wrench Co., which she owns and runs with her sister Naomi. They opened their fleet garage to the public to help people--especially women-- purchase car repairs at lower mechanical labor rates. The shop has 7 car lifts in a 9,000 square foot facility in South Elgin.

Hjelm ran for Elgin City Council in 2015 and co-hosted "Two Old Broads" on WRMN-1410am radio in 2015. She is the mother of twin 13 year old boys who are freshmen at Burlington Central High School (District 301). 

“Our WIM members are successful entrepreneurs, managers, and dedicated community volunteers,” said Ann Louis, 2018-19 WIM Fox Valley president. “We look forward to hearing about this outstanding entrepreneur and what is the motivation to take her business to the next level.”

Louis, a Campton Hills resident, owns Louis Consulting, Inc. in Elgin, IL.  She adds, “Our upcoming speakers and programs again bring top level topics and expertise to our membership. We welcome business women in the community to join us, network, and make new community connections.”

WIM Fox Valley to celebrate a successful year.

Members and guests are welcome to attend the WIM Fox Valley (WIM) evening celebration dinner on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at the McGraw Wildlife Foundation, 14N322 IL Route 25, in Dundee.  Networking and a cocktail party begins at 5:30pm with dinner served at 6:30pm. Cost for members is $30.00 and non members - $33.00. Area women in business are welcome to attend this month’s presentation. 

To register click here.  Walk-ins are welcome!

Meeting sponsor is Presence Saint Joseph Hospital Elgin and its N.E.W. You Center, an innovative wellness center focused on prevention of metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that raises a person’s risk of developing heart disease, diabetes or stroke.

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WIM Fox Valley presents Engineer Catherine Tojaga, Owner of CT Mechanical, LLC on Thursday, April 12, 2018.

The meeting location for luncheons is Grumpy Goat Tavern at 875 Sports Way in Elgin with networking at 11:30 a.m., luncheon and program at noon. Meetings adjourn at 1:00 p.m. Cost for members is $22.00 and non members - $25.00. Area women in business are welcome to attend this month’s presentation. 

To register click here.

​Tojaga started CT Mechanical in February 2008 at her dining room table and has grown the business to averaging just under $20M. CT Mechanical is a contractor that specializes in commercial HVAC construction and service. Their primary work is with general contractors and end users to make modifications to existing mechanical systems, furnish and install new mechanical systems for new construction, and HVAC service and maintenance or replacement.

Tojaga created her business to emphasize honesty, collaboration, and customer service as she felt it important to create a brand within the construction industry that focused on people and not the commodity. She often says they are not in the construction business, rather they are in the people business, and that their brand is a promise strengthened by their actions. She assembled a team with the strength and knowledge to identify and fix potential issues before they became problems. This has resulted in a solutions-oriented environment that focuses on making the client’s job easier.

In addition to having more than 20 years’ of experience, Tojaga is a registered Professional Engineer and Registered Energy Professional with a background in design engineering. In 2015, she was recognized by Crains’s Chicago Business as one of its “Fast Fifty.” CT Mechanical was ranked in the top half of the list, with their 2014 revenue at $18.6 million and a five-year growth rate at 513%.

Tojaga has various professional memberships and affiliations, including: Women Construction Owners & Executives, National Board Member (WCOE); Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA); American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); Mechanical Contractors Association of Chicago (MCA); Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP); and Society of Women Engineers (SWE).

Meeting sponsor is WIM member Melissa Davidson, CPA of Porte Brown LLC, a full service accounting and consulting firm headquartered in Elk Grove Village with offices in Elgin, McHenry, Evanston, and Tinley Park. For more than 70 years, Porte Brown has focused on the highest level of service to individuals, businesses and organizations throughout the region. In addition to the traditional accounting services, such as tax planning and preparation, audit, business valuations, and retirement plan administration, Porte Brown also provides strategic consulting and leading-edge technology implementation for clients in cloud and non-cloud environments.

WIM Fox Valley (WIM) presents Levi, the Comfort Dog, and his faithful companion Chris Wendt from Immanuel Lutheran Church & School in East Dundee on Thursday, March 8,  2018.

The  meeting location for luncheons is Grumpy Goat Tavern at 875 Sports Way in Elgin with networking at 11:30 a.m., luncheon and program at noon. Meetings adjourn at 1:00 p.m. Cost for members is $22.00 and non members - $25.00. Area women in business are welcome to attend this month’s presentation. 

To register click here.

​Levi, the Comfort Dog, sponsored by Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) K9 Comfort Dogs, bases his unique ministry from Immanuel Lutheran Church & School in East Dundee, where he arrived in 2017. Comfort dogs are friends who bring a calming influence, allowing people to open up their hearts and receive help in times of need.  Levi, along with Wendt and other volunteers, has touched the hearts of many people, including children from the Boys and Girls Club of Dundee Township; people effected by floods in Houston during a recent mission trip; nursing home residents; grieving families; and stressed travelers at O’Hare International Airport.

Launched in August 2008, the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry is a national human-care ministry embracing the unique, calming nature and skills of purebred Golden Retrievers. The LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs are a bridge for compassionate ministry, opening doors for conversation about faith and creating opportunities to share the mercy, compassion, presence and proclamation of Jesus Christ.

​Meeting sponsor is WIM member Michelle Santucci, founder of Little Mac Boutique in Elgin, which designs and produces fun fashion creations and accessories for children.  She is also an independent distributor of Rodan & Fields Skincare.

Dr. Susarla is a board certified family practice physician who believes in combining the mind, body, and spirit to achieve optimal health. She attended the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign where she graduated with academic distinction in psychology and biology. She then graduated from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences with residency training at the Cook County/Loyola family medicine program.

She practices what she preaches. She has practiced yoga for 20 years. She plays the sitar and is a vegetarian, triathlete, and an avid traveler. Dr Susarla has extensive training in dermatologic disorders and cosmetic medicine since 2005. She serves as Assistant Clinical Professor at Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine where she gets involved in clinical training of medical and physician assistant students in family medicine.
She opened OM Medispa to advance the quality of care because patients were not receiving the “answers” to the health concerns with the standard practice of medicine. OM Medispa focuses on the human being as a entire entity. Thus, she envisioned extension of preventive medicine and family medicine along with other services such as aesthetic medicine, bioidentical hormones, nutrition/exercise counseling, yoga, massage and more. OM Medispa continues to grow and mold to meet the healthcare needs of the community.

WIM Fox Valley (WIM) presents an entertaining evening with member Kyla Duewel, who will teach attendees a short, easy and fun dance routine to get people moving, on Thursday, January 11, 2018.

The evening meeting registration and networking begins at 6:00pm at The Haight, located in downtown Elgin at 166 Symphony Way. Cost for members is $22.00 and non members - $25.00, which includes a glass of wine and dinner.

​To register for the event click here.
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Duewel is the Member Relations Manager at Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation in Dundee. In 2017 she founded Twist and Twirl Dance to follow her true life’s passion of dance. She has been dancing for 25 years and teaching for over 15 years at local studios in the Fox Valley Area for ages three through adult. Twist and Twirl Dance, a traveling dance studio, exudes Duewel’s love of dance and events. Specializing in first dances and birthday parties, she loves spreading her love of dance and movement to everyone.

Duewel graduated from Kendall College, Chicago, in 2010 with a Bachelor's in Hospitality Management. Since graduation, she has worked for famed attractions including The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN and Soldier Field in Chicago. She is a lifelong resident of Elgin.

Meeting sponsor is Kyla Duewel and her dance studio, Twist and Twirl.

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WIM Fox Valley (WIM) will celebrate the holiday season with musical entertainment by selected artists from the Elgin Symphony Orchestra on Thursday, December 14, 2017.

To register for the December luncheon click here.

​An added attraction at the holiday celebration will be a silent auction to benefit WIM’s Susan Wyatt Memorial Scholarship Fund. Managed by the Elgin Community College Foundation, WIM awards two annual scholarships to benefit women pursuing a college degree with an emphasis in business. 

​The December meeting sponsor is the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. Founded in 1950, the ESO is unmatched for quality music under the direction of Music Director Andrew Grams.  Named “Orchestra of the Year” an unprecedented four times by the Illinois Council of Orchestras, (1988,1999, 2005 and 2016) and winner of a 2010 Elgin Image Award, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, now in its 67th season, is respected for exceptional performance, innovative education programs, and community outreach initiatives.