Business Briefs | February 2015

By Mark Zonca
February 2015 View more Business

Appointments

Photo courtesy City of Naperville

The City of Naperville recently announced that Jill Pelka-Wilger, who currently serves as acting city attorney, has been named Naperville’s new city attorney and director of Legal. Pelka-Wilger was selected from more than 70 applicants for this position. Before her arrival at the City in 2000, Pelka-Wilger served as an adjunct professor in the Business and Services Division of the College of DuPage and an assistant state’s attorney in the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s office. She started in Naperville as an assistant city attorney/assistant city prosecutor until 2005, when she was named city prosecutor. In 2012, she assumed the role of assistant legal director. In her roles as assistant legal director and acting city attorney, Pelka-Wilger oversaw litigation, preparation of legal documents, and ordinances and insurance claims negotiations. In her role as acting city attorney, Pelka-Wilger was also responsible for providing legal counsel at City Council meetings. Pelka-Wilger holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Benedictine University and a Juris Doctor from John Marshall Law School. She will supervise more than 12 employees in her new role, which is effective immediately.

The Barry Greenberg Law Firm in Naperville recently announced the addition of two attorneys of counsel to the firm. William Lohrman is a graduate of Bowling Green State University in Ohio, earning his law degree at Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Michigan. Lohrman focuses his practice areas in civil litigation, residential real estate, foreclosure defense and bankruptcy law. Russell Rasche is a graduate of the University of Miami, earning his law degree at Illinois Institute of Technology’s Kent College of Law. Rasche focuses his practice on commercial and investment real estate, business plan development, structure, formation and funding, federal and state regulator compliance, forensic legal audits and investment securities review.

Photo courtesy Sikich LLP

Naperville-based Sikich LLP, a leading professional services firm specializing in accounting, technology, investment banking and advisory services, hired Joe Connell as a director of retirement plan services. Previously, Connell served as the president of Retirement Plan Partners. In his new role, he will lead Sikich’s retirement plan advisory practice, oversee its growth in Minnesota and South Dakota, and provide current clients with quality service. Connell has more than 15 years of experience in retirement planning with expertise in all areas of 401(k) plan consulting, including investment selection and performance monitoring, vendor negotiation, participant education and plan administration and design. He joins a talented wealth management team with assets under management and administration that total over $650 million.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) recently appointed Frank Jakosz, a partner in Sikich LLP’s not-for-profit services practice, to its inaugural Not-For-Profit (NFP) Advisory Council. Jakosz will serve alongside 12 other CPA’s from across the country who have expertise in audit, accounting and reporting, tax and governance. The NFP Advisory Council will provide expert counsel, such as specialized guidance, tools, in-depth reports and a variety of resources, to those who serve the not-for-profit sector along with not-for-profits themselves. The Council will cover numerous topics, including governance, operations, accounting and reporting, audit and tax and compliance and regulatory issues.

Photo of Jim Sheehan courtesy City of Naperville

James Sheehan, who served as acting director of human resources, has been named Naperville’s new director of human resources. Sheehan was selected from more than 120 applicants for the position. Prior to his hiring as the City’s acting director of human resources in September 2014, Sheehan spent nearly 20 years as head of the human resources facilities and law department at Tellabs, one of Naperville’s largest employers. An Illinois native and Naperville resident for nearly 20 years, Sheehan has also served on the Naperville Development Partnership, Choose DuPage, and DuPage Children’s Museum boards of directors. Sheehan holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Organizational Behavior from the University of Illinois and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law.

David H. Li has been elected president and chief executive officer and member of the board at Aurora-based Cabot Microelectronics. Li, who is Cabot’s vice president of the Asian Pacific Region, will succeed William Noglows, who served as the company’s chairman, president, and CEO since 2003. Li has more than 15 years of experience with Cabot including eight years leading the company’s Asian Pacific business. Li earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University and an M.B.A from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Dean Harrison, president and CEO of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare in Chicago, will lead the board of trustees for Naperville-based Illinois Hospital Association. Board officers serve a one-year term that begin January 1. Harrison succeeds Kevin Poorten, president and CEO of KishHealth Systems in DeKalb.

Phil Williams joins Wheaton-based Schmaltz Retail Products as vice president of sales, from senior manager at North Side Foods (Smithfield). Williams brings extensive sales, marketing, logistics and business development experience to the organization. He previously served in various senior positions with North Side Foods, Hub One Logistics, Ltd., McCain Foods USA, and Bama Pie, Ltd. Williams will work closely with Howard Bender, CEO of Schmaltz Products, to drive the national expansion of Schmacon™, the company’s newest product.

Awards

Photo courtesy of Edward Hospital

Edward Hospital has achieved designation for the third time as a Magnet hospital for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Edward, which employs 1,200 nurses, was originally recognized as a Magnet hospital in 2005 and was first re-designated in 2010. The second re-designation means Edward is one of only six hospitals in Illinois to have achieved Magnet status three times or more. There are 38 Magnet organizations in Illinois. Edward is one of only three hospitals in DuPage County and the only one serving Will County to have earned the prestigious designation. Of the nation’s 6,000 hospitals, only seven percent (about 400) are recognized as Magnet facilities by the ANCC. In order to maintain its Magnet designation, Edward submitted nearly 3,200 pages of written documentation, required as part of a rigorous process that also included a three-day site visit by Magnet appraisers in October 2014 to review all aspects of Edward’s nursing care.

New Business

Richard and Mary Benck of Naperville, founders of West Side Tractor Sales Co., donated $50,000 to the Naperville Heritage Society toward the development and construction of a future Agricultural Interpretive Center at Naper Settlement. The proposed center will chronicle the rich history of agriculture in Naperville and interweave lessons in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) into the exhibition and programming. The Bencks’ gift follows the Wheatland Plowing Match Association’s donation of $100,000 in September to the Naperville Heritage Society.