WIM Fox Valley (WIM) will hold its annual complimentary guest luncheon on Thursday, November 14, 2019 featuring local Latino Film Festival founder and editor Margarita Mendoza.The lunch meeting will be held at 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 complimentary month’s presentation.   Please click here to make reservations.
Mendoza of Elgin is an experienced journalist and public relations professional. She is a translator, and the editor of the international award-winning Spanish language monthly newspaper, El Observador, for the Catholic Diocese of Rockford.
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In 2012, Mendoza launched and has directed the Latino Film Festival Elgin. Several years ago she started the Latino Film Festival Aurora. She is featured in the book series Today’s Inspired Latina, founded by Jackie Camacho-Ruiz.

She is also a director of Colombia Hoy and edits the Panamericano Hoy, a Spanish language newspaper focused on optimistic news.

She and her husband Enrique reside in Elgin and are the parents of three daughters. In 2007, Mendoza graduated from the Elgin Leadership Academy. She studied at the Universidad Autónoma De Occidente, in Cali, Colombia, a Master in Organizational Communication; graduated from Social Communicator/Journalist; and has a Political Science, Certified.

Sponsor for this month’s meeting is member Melissa Davidson, CPA, of Davidson Pargman and Company LLC. Davidson takes pride that her firm provides a total commitment to building one-on-one relationships with each individual client. Services include a variety of financial, tax, and advisory needs.
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​White, a mother of  3 children, is also a student and a welder. She is trying to show everyone that it is never too late to follow a dream, no matter how different it may be. She’s a trendsetter and is paving the way for women everywhere to see there is a need for them in the trades. 
 
She recently graduated from Elgin Community College with 2 certificates: one in Basic Vocational Specialist in Welding and Basic Vocational Specialist in MIG Welding. She also earned a 3G and 4G certificate in MIG welding and graduated with high honors. 
 
White was recently chosen to be on the cover of Elgin Community College’s Inspire magazine and has been included as part of a special publication in the national magazine “The Welder” along with 3 other women. She has excelled in the field and is currently employed with JN Machinery in East Dundee. White is still pursuing her education and has gone back to gain her Associates in Applied Science in Welding Fabrication Technology.

The lunch meeting will be held at 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. 
​Please click here to make reservations.
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Sponsor for this month’s meeting is Faith Clark, CLU, financial representative of Northwestern Mutual in Schaumburg. Her financial services practice focuses on spreading financial literacy and empowering women to be financially successful.

​Rabbi Frisch Klein has been an entrepreneur and strategy consultant for high tech companies. She serves on several local boards including the Chicago Board of Rabbis and the 16th Circuit Court Steering Committee on Family Violence. She blogs as the Energizer Rabbi and is the author of two books, one of which is coming out this fall.

The lunch meeting will be held at 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. Reservations can be made by clicking here.

​Sponsor for this month’s meeting is Attorney Janet W. Ellingson of Elgin. Her areas of practice include family law, estate planning, real estate and litigation.

Members and guests are welcome to attend the WIM Fox Valley (WIM) evening celebration dinner with featured speaker, Kathy Melone, Advancement Director of Mutual Ground in Aurora, on Thursday, May 2, 2019 at the McGraw Wildlife Foundation, 14N322 IL Route 25, in Dundee.

Networking, appetizers, and a cocktail party with wine begins at 5:30pm with a buffet dinner being served at 6:15pm. Cost for members is $30.00 and non members - $35.00. Area women in business are welcome to attend this month’s presentation. Reservations are preferred for this event.

To make reservations, please click here.

Melone will share life lessons during her talk, “Screw It, Let's Do It: Life Lessons I've Learned (So Far)”. She oversees all of the fundraising, marketing and outreach efforts of Mutual Ground, a non-profit organization serving victims, and survivors, of domestic or sexual violence. The agency serves more than 1,400 members of our community each year through their prevention programming, intervention services and on-going support. 

She worked in the corporate world for 10 years, most recently at Kraft Foods, before leaving to work full-time in the non-profit sector. She has spent more than 20 years at various non-profits, previously serving as Director of Development at Fox Valley Hands of Hope in Geneva, Chicago Cares in Chicago and Anderson Animal Shelter in South Elgin. 

Melone received her B.S. and M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is involved in the Rotary Club of Geneva, Rotary Club of Aurora, and serves on the St. Charles Cultural Commission. She lives in St. Charles and in her free time enjoys playing tennis, running, and hanging out with her three teenagers.

Meeting sponsors are WIM Fox Valley members and REALTORS® Kathryn Festen and Georgianna Sinnett of the Baird & Warner office in Barrington. 

​Women continually seek advice and solutions regarding the effect environmental chemicals have on hormone balance. Dr. Jennifer Mercier of Expect a Miracle in St. Charles will provide answers for overall wellness and health at the WIM Fox Valley meeting on Thursday, April 11, 2019  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 make reservations, please click here.  Walk-ins are always welcome!

Dr. Jennifer Mercier has been in practice since 1996 and has a genuine passion for serving women in many capacities from adolescence to menopause. She started her practice as a massage therapist and progressed into home birth midwifery and eventually Naturopathy. Her specialties include functional endocrinology (balancing hormones naturally), infertility, pelvic pain, and c-section recovery. She loves her practice and says “it is like a family of women seeking to be more balanced.”  

She is a graduate of Trinity College (1995) and the Chicago School of Massage Therapy (1996).  She has also completed the Midwifery Training Program at Miami Beach Maternity Center (2000) and the Central States College of Health Sciences - Naturopathic Program (2007). 

​This month’s WIM Fox Valley sponsor is Amy Schillinger, LMFT, AT, EMDR, founder of Balance Stress Management & Therapy. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist, and art therapist. Her holistic and integrative mental health practice is located in Elgin and St. Charles. 

WIM Fox Valley (WIM) presents an entertaining evening with WIM board member Kyla Duewel Brittain, who will teach attendees a short, easy and fun dance routine to get people moving and celebrate spring on Thursday, March 14, 2019.

The evening meeting registration and networking begins at 6:00pm at Emmett’s Brewery Co.,located in downtown West Dundee at 128 West Main Street. Cost for members is $25.00 and non members - $28.00, which includes heavy hors d’oeuvres appetizers and a cash bar.

Area women in business are welcome to attend this casual evening presentation. Reservations can be made for the event by clicking here.  Walk-ins are always welcome!!

Duewel Brittain is the Member Relations Manager at Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation in Dundee. She has followed her life’s passion and 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.  She enjoys specializing in first dances and birthday parties and spreading her love of dance and movement to everyone.

She 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 sponsors are WIM Fox Valley members and REALTORS®  Kathryn Festen and Georgianna Sinnett of the Baird & Warner office in Barrington. ​

It’s never too late to be concerned about the integration of finances and relationships which impacts the state of financial harmony. Find out more from  Nancy Effert of Effert Financial Solutions, Inc. In Barrington, at the WIM Fox Valley meeting on Thursday, February 14, 2019  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. Reservations can be made by clicking here.  Walk-ins are always welcome!

With over 20 years’ of corporate experience focusing on actuarial and management consulting, Effert brings considerable knowledge of the financial services industry to her signature wealth management approach. Her straight forward style provides a holistic methodology which includes wealth planning, risk management, business services, investment services and financial planning. Her clients benefit from her wide array of expertise and solution-based approach.

Effert is as engaged in the community as she is with clients. She is proactive in supporting non-profit and business leadership organizations as a volunteer, fundraiser and trailblazer. Author of several financial articles and publications, she speaks on various financial-focused topics.

​This month’s WIM Fox Valley sponsor is Joy Symonds, co-owner, Symonds-Madison Funeral Home in Elgin, which has served Fox Valley families with compassion and excellence for over 90 years.

Kick off the new year with a focus on good health.  Family therapist Amy Schillinger, LMFT, AT, EMDR,  founder of Balance Stress Management & Therapy, will present at the WIM Fox Valley meeting on Thursday, January 10, 2019  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.

Reservations must be made for attendance by clicking here.  Walk-ins are also welcome!

Schillinger is a licensed marriage and family therapist, art therapist, and is trained in EMDR, Mindfulness, Neurofeedback. She is completing her 200 hour yoga teacher training. 

Schillinger is the founder of Balance Stress Management & Therapy, a holistic and integrative mental health practice in Elgin and St. Charles. The practice serves individuals, couples, children, and families and is in network with most insurance providers for their behavioral health component. Balance Stress Management & Therapy blends traditional counseling techniques with alternative therapies such as occupational therapy, Neurofeedback and QEEG brain mapping, Art Therapy, Reiki, and Yoga Therapy to help everyone get closer to their center.

​This month’s WIM Fox Valley sponsor is Michelle Santucci, owner of Little Mac Boutique and Rodan + Fields consultant in Elgin.

School District U-46 Chief Executive Officer Tony Sanders will provide insight about U-46 which serves families in 11 communities, including Elgin, at the next WIM Fox Valley meeting on Thursday, December 13, 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 please click here.

Sanders runs the day-to-day operations of School District U-46, a place he has called home since 2007.  He oversees the implementation of all Board and District policies and procedures as well as the alignment of resources to all District initiatives and improvement plans for the state’s second-largest school district. He works in close collaboration with an administrative staff that manages a balanced District budget of more than $500 million, and he helped lead a successful state-wide effort to pass equitable state education funding. 

A leader known for his diligence, hands-on and collaborative approach, Sanders works with staff and community members to implement goals supporting the District’s Strategic Plan which calls for ensuring all students gain the experiences they need to graduate from School District U-46 prepared to contribute and compete in a global society. He’s proud of the District’s many achievements, from a thriving Dual Language program to expanded early education.

Sanders earned his Master of Business Administration degree from New York Institute of Technology – Ellis College, and his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Springfield. 

​This month’s WIM Fox Valley sponsor is John Brittain of the family-owned Brittain’s Express Oil and Lube in Elgin.  The company, founded in 1986 by Randy Brittain, provides an extensive variety of services including the Brittain’s Wellness Check for overall car maintenance, oil change, transmission service, car wash, and fleet vehicle maintenance.  It is proud of its community support to many area businesses, organizations, and schools. 

​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.