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Hinsdale Resident Among Women of Influence Honorees

Emilia DiMenco, of Hinsdale, president and CEO of the Women's Business Development Center (WBDC) in Chicago, has been selected as a "Woman of Influence" by the Chicago Business Journal. She will be honored at a noon luncheon on January 20 at Spiaggia restaurant in Chicago, and will serve on a panel discussion about mentoring.

The Chicago Business Journal named 48 honorees for its inaugural Women of Influence Awards. The program honors women business leaders in the Chicago area who not only have successful careers but strong track records of paying it forward through community service and mentoring.

DiMenco joined the WBDC as chief operating officer in July 2010 after completing a 30-year career as an executive vice president with BMO Harris N.A. Among her accomplishments since becoming WBDC chief, she developed a comprehensive strategy for the 28-year-old nonprofit organization and launched two WBDC microloan programs with a lending pool of nearly $1.6 million.

DiMenco is well-known for her contributions to leading civic and professional organizations, including the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago. She currently serves on the City of Chicago's Small Business Advisory Council, the State of Illinois' Workforce Investment Board's Entrepreneurship Task Force, the Illinois State Treasurer's Job-Creation Advisory Board and the Illinois Charitable Trust Stabilization Fund Board.

A nationally recognized economic development center now in its 28th year, the WBDC provides a continuum of business development services to prospective and established women entrepreneurs including counseling, training, financial, certification and procurement assistance in Spanish and English. The WBDC is headquartered at 8 S. Michigan Avenue, 4th Floor, Chicago, IL 60603. To learn more, visit www.WBDC.org.

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