Business Briefs | December 2013/January 2014

Appointments

Photo courtesy Edward Hospital and Health Services

Annette Kenney is named system vice president of strategy and business development for the healthcare system formed by the merger of Edward Hospital Health Services and Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare. Kenney, a resident of Naperville, has more than 25 years of healthcare experience as a provider, consultant, and senior hospital administrator. After practicing for several years as a registered physical therapist, she received her Master of Public Health degree in Health Services Administration and Epidemiology from Yale University.

Photo courtesy Edward Hospital and Health Services

Susan Mitchell is named system executive vice president of Human Resources for the newly combined Edward Hospital Health Services and Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare system. Mitchell, a resident of Wheaton, was previously with the Tribune Company where she was a Corporate Officer and held various positions in Human Resources for the past 13 years, most recently as vice president. Prior to joining Tribune, Mitchell was regional vice president of Pro Staff Staffing Services, regional vice president of Kelly Services and area vice president of Adia Personnel in New York. Mitchell received her Bachelor’s degree from Millikin University in Decatur, Ill.

Photo courtesy Family Shelter Service

Judie Caribeaux has been appointed as the new executive director for Family Shelter Service. Caribeaux is replacing Karen Hurley Kuchar who will be stepping down after 16 years with the 37-year-old agency that offers shelter, counseling, and assistance with Orders of Protection for individuals affected by domestic abuse. Caribeaux brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit management to the position and most recently served as director of career development at Aurora University, Aurora.

Westell Technologies, Inc., a global leader of intelligent site and outside plant solutions headquartered in Aurora, announced that the Board of Directors has elected J. Thomas Gruenwald as a new director. Gruenwald was also appointed to serve on the Compensation Committee of the Board. With more than two decades of experience leading dynamic, technology-based growth businesses, Gruenwald has held various C-level and executive roles including serving as executive vice president of corporate strategy and chief technology officer of Tellabs, Inc.

Photo courtesy PACT Inc.

Melissa Mrkvicka is promoted to the position of life management services program manager at PACT Inc. Mrkvicka has been a client services coordinator in the LMS division since 2007. Mrkvicka holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Northeastern Illinois University and is a National Certified Guardian (NCG) through the National Guardianship Association and a Qualified Individual Disabilities Professional (QIDP). She has more than 25 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities in various settings including group homes, a mental health center, sheltered workshop, Pre-Admission Screening (PAS) agency and a foster care program.

Joseph Weidenbach, senior vice president, Chicago region head for The Private Client Reserve of U. S. Bank, has been elected to the Board of Trustees of The Morton Arboretum. Prior to joining U.S. Bank last year, Weidenbach was with J.P. Morgan Chase, where he held several leadership positions including managing director and market manager for J.P.Morgan Private Bank. Long active in the Chicago-area community, Weidenbach is a trustee of the DuPage Community Foundation and currently chairs the organization’s grant committee. He formerly served as a trustee of the DuPage Children’s Museum. Weidenbach earned a bachelor of arts with honors from the University of Dayton in Ohio. He earned a Juris doctorate from the University of Dayton, School of Law, and an M.B.A. with honors from University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

Naper Settlement welcomes Kevin Burns to its development team as vice president, Philanthropy. Burns is a veteran fundraising professional w

Photo courtesy Naper Settlement

ith close to three decades of experience. Burns has more than 25 years of development experience with such organizations as the Muscular Dystrophy Association/Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon, Paramount Arts Center in Aurora, United States Olympic Committee, Rush-Copley Medical Center, United States Equestrian Federation, Midwestern University in Downers Grove and the United States Figure Skating Association. A resident of Geneva, Burns has 20 years experience with municipal government, serving on the Geneva Library Board, as an alderman and currently as mayor.

Awards

DuPage Pads is one of 13 community partners in DuPage County awarded funding by the DuPage County Health Department to participate in Enroll DuPage activities, which includes conducting outreach, education and enrollment in the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace throughout DuPage County. Throughout the country, Affordable Care Act (ACA) outreach and enrollment will play a vital role in assisting consumers prepare applications to establish eligibility and enroll in coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. DuPagePads’ grant of $50,000 will help them to participate in the effort, which will aid residents in receiving live in-person assistance as they go through the process of applying for and choosing new coverage options.

Mergers and New Business

Rendering courtesy Monarch Landing

Monarch Landing of Naperville has announced that its new health center called The Springs at Monarch Landing is currently under construction with a mid-2014 scheduled completion date. The Springs will provide health and wellness options embracing a progressive and holistic approach. Located on an 80-acre campus just outside of downtown Naperville, Monarch Landing opened its independent living apartments for individuals ages 62 and over, seven years ago. Amenities offered at Monarch Landing include a salon, library, dog park, wood shop and more. Monarch Landing also boasts an on-site Edward Medical Group–affiliated medical practice. The Springs will provide assisted living memory care, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing.

West Suburban Angels Inc. launched an Angel Investment Group and announced plans for its first angel presentation forum for investors. Now, business start-ups in the Western suburbs will have the opportunity to raise funding and receive support from an elite group of investors. Co-founders Kenn Miller, Joe Zhu and Mike Healy have assembled a group of investors, advisors, sponsors and partners to take advantage of the growing need for early stage investing in suburban Chicago. West Suburban Angels is a nonprofit organization that will present to a small group of angel investors a hand full of companies seeking capital to begin revenue or expand the offering. Last year, nearly $400 million was raised between Angels and venture capital firms and nearly 200 digital companies were started in Chicago and the Northern suburbs alone.

Naperville based Tellabs Inc. has agreed to be acquired for $891 million dollars by California investment firm Marlin Equity Partners. The new owner will take over Tellabs later this year and take it private. The sale marks the end of an era for the technology company. Tellabs, founded in 1975, was one of the Chicago areas hottest public companies during the dot-com fueled telecom boom of the late 90s. Tellabs co-founder Michael J. Birck, the company’s second-biggest shareholder, supports the deal, according to a company statement.

Rendering courtesy Deborah Newman Marketing/Communications

Developers of the Water Street District in downtown Naperville have unveiled plans for the Hotel Indigo Naperville on the Riverwalk, an upscale boutique hotel set to open in 2015, as the anchor for the mixed-use retail, restaurant and office development on the south end of Naperville’s central business district. Hotel Indigo Naperville will bring high-end amenities and national-brand caliber customer service for business and leisure travelers alike. The Naperville hotel will consist of approximately 160 rooms, including Riverfront King Suites and Honeymoon Suites. The second-floor lobby will feature a great room with fireplace, a bistro-style dining area and wine bar, as well as a health facility. A pedestrian bridge will give hotel guests access to the Loggia Building with additional Riverfront rooms and suites as well as banquet accommodations, three intimate meeting rooms and a rooftop restaurant, overlooking the river and downtown Naperville.

Surrounding the Hotel Indigo Naperville, the Water Street District will offer a variety of restaurants, retail shops and the signature Riverwalk. A 500 plus space parking facility will be adjacent to the hotel, providing parking for the Water Street district and additional downtown visitor parking.

Photo courtesy Steve Lasker photography

The new Springbrook Animal Care Center in Naperville is open for business. Joan Kaufman is a Naperville-based LEED certified residential and commercial interior designer and space planner. Kaufman designed the interior of Springbrook with the emphasis on eco-friendly products and materials. The facility has 85 skylights to utilize natural light and reduce electricity, photovoltaic solar panels installed in the roof for heat and hot water, extensive use of recycled materials, rainwater collection systems, antimicrobial and antibacterial counter tops. The walls are painted in warm earth tones and the flooring is designed to resist scratching from dog paws and accidents.

Edward Hospital’s Outpatient Breastfeeding Center, which provides lactation consulting to women regardless of where they gave birth, has a new home, in a larger space near the south entrance of the hospital, located at 801 S. Washington Street in Naperville. The expansion helps accommodate the 180 outpatient lactation consultations that the center provides each month for moms, both before their babies are born, and after they leave the hospital and return home.