Elk Grove High to honor alumni

Elk Grove High School announced the selection of Col. Tim Touzinsky (Class of ’76) and Dave Cullen (Class of ’79) to its 2011 Alumni Wall of Achievement.

Col. Touzinsky is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army, who served 30 years as a U.S. Army officer. He has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit and Bronze Star Medal for service in Iraq. While at EGHS, Touzinsky was involved in the school’s music program and cites placing first at the Oak Lawn Jazz Festival as his best memory of EGHS.

Cullen is the award-winning author of “Columbine,” which is the true story of the Columbine High School massacre, detailing the killers’ story building up to the attack, and the survivors’ struggles with aftermath over the next seven years. The book was on The New York Times best-seller list for 13 weeks and won several awards, including the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best True Crime book of 2009 and Barnes & Noble’s Discover Award for Best Nonfiction book of 2009 by a new author.

While at EGHS, Cullen was involved in the student newspaper, The Guardian, and the debate team. Before becoming a writer, He was in the U.S. Army and also worked as a systems analyst and management consultant.

Ÿ Certified Public Accountant Eileen E. Brassil of Mount Prospect, a partner at Legacy Professionals LLP, was appointed to the executive committee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center for the 2011-2012 service year.

The center is the national organization for accounting firms that audit employee benefit plans. As a member of the committee, Brassil will contribute to governing the center as well as establishing general policies and overseeing center activities.

Ÿ Crystal Lanski, a lifestyles teacher at the Camelot Therapeutic Day School, in Des Plaines, was recognized for her outstanding teaching skills by being selected as a “Symetra Hero in the Classroom.”

In a surprise assembly on Sept. 13, Lanski was recognized in front of her students and peers by members of the Chicago Bears organization. She was awarded a $1,000 donation for classroom books and supplies for her school. She also received tickets to the Sunday, Sept. 25, Bears game against the Green Bay Packers, where she was acknowledged during an on-field presentation at Soldier Field.

Lanski is one of 16 K-12 teachers in the Chicago area honored for educational excellence during the 2011 NFL season.

Camelot Therapeutic Day Schools provide academic instruction and therapy for youth ages 3-21, who have been unable to succeed in a public school setting due to the severity of their disabilities.