Twenty-two area business owners and executives have been named “Influential Women in Business” for 2009 by The Business Ledger. The honorees were recognized at an awards celebration at the Doubletree Hotel in Oak Brook. Kim Vatis of NBC5 News was the event emcee.

It is the 12th “class” of women to be recognized by the newspaper and its partner in the event, the National Association of Women Business Owners, Chicago Area Chapter, since the program’s inception in 1998.

The 2009 recipients include:

• Linda Bi, President, Chicago Expert Importers, Batavia
• Rona Borre, President/CEO, Instant Technology, LLC, Chicago
• Sarah Brachle, Executive Director, DuPage Habitat for Humanity, Wheaton
• Rebecca Busch, President/CEO, Medical Business Associates, Westmont
• Julie Curran, Senior VP/District Executive, Harris, N.A., Burr Ridge
• Susan Dawson, Partner, Waltz, Palmer and Dawson, LLC, Rolling Meadows
• Gini Dietrich, CEO, Arment Dietrich, Inc., Chicago
• Donna Dziedzic, Executive Director, Naperville Public Library, Naperville
• Mattine Gallentine, President, MG Computer, Downers Grove
• Bernadette Haas, President/CEO, Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce
• Jill D. Hebert, CEO, Matrex Exhibits, Inc., Addison
• Lema Khorshid, Partner, Fuksa Khorshid, LLC, Chicago
• Kim Kleeman, President, Shakespeare Squared, Northbrook
• Jill Koski, VP Development, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle
• Michelle Lanter Smith, Co-Owner, High Impact Marketing, Lake Zurich
• Maria Metz, Principal, Townsend-Metz and Associates, Glen Ellyn
• Daniela O’Leary-Gill, Senior VP/District Executive, Harris, N.A., Barrington
• Christie Ruffino, Founder/President, Dynamic Professional Women’s Network, West Chicago
• Karen J. Stewart, VP Quality and Strategic Development, Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove
• Tricia Sutton, President, Sutton Enterprises, Inc., Bensenville
• Dawn Tuskey, President, IHM Remodeling, Downers Grove
• Ann Ziegler, Senior VP/CFO, CDW Corporation, Vernon Hills

The presenting sponsor for the event is State Farm Insurance and the corporate sponsors are B. Gunther & Company, Inc. and Leaderboard Tournament Systems.





Event emcee Kim Vatis of NBC5 News.




Quynh Tran from presenting sponsor State Farm Insurance.




Jeanne Brommer from corporate sponsor B. Gunther and Company.




Angelika Coghlan, President, NAWBO - Chicago Chapter.




Honorees Julie Curran and Daniela O'Leary-Gill of Harris Bank.




Attendees network at reception prior to awards ceremony.

Newsmakers' Forum - Business Marketing --- June 17, 2009

Over 80 participants and 15 exhibitors attended this forum on
strategies and tactics for promoting your business in
recessionary times.

Panel members from left to right. Gerry Linda - President - Gerald Linda & Associates Carolyn Gerard - President - Gerard Design Deborah Newman - Marketing & Public Relations Manager - Cygnet Midwest Scott Bussert - Vice President of Operations - DataMart Direct, Inc. Brian Tomkins - Chief of Operations - Nextvoice247

Heidi Thorne - President - Thorne Communications  One of 15 companies exhibiting at the event.

Keynote speaker Jennifer Wilken, Edward Jones

Event attendees listen attentively to keynote speaker Jennifer Wilken

Award plaques provided by B.Gunther & company await distribution

Accepting their first place awards were Larry Walter, Tasty Catering Robin Rosen, Draftfcb

Representatives from #1 company Tasty Catering

Representatives from #1 company Draftfcb and Peter Burke (far right) Best Companies Group

James Elsener, Publisher, The Business Ledger Carolyn Gerard, Gerard Design, Inc. Peter Burke, Best Companies Group

Representatives from The Effner Financial Group John Araujo, Lori Ham and James Effner

Representatives from Comcast along with Andy Zielonka (back row, far right) The Business Ledger