State park district group gives rising star award to Buffalo Grove vice president

Posted February 13, 2015 12:00 am

• Adriane Johnson, vice president of the Buffalo Grove Park District board of commissioners, has received the 2014 Rising Star Award from the Illinois Association of Park Districts. The award recognizes exemplary performance in duties and responsibilities as a board member, active involvement in the park district and a positive impact and dedication to the field of parks and recreation. Johnson was appointed to the park board in November of 2011 and is uncontested in her bid for re-election this April. Johnson also is an active Rotarian, is a member of the chamber of commerce and was recently appointed to Buffalo Grove's Fire and Police Commission.

• Hoffman Estates resident Megan Mussano, a speech language pathologist and the assistive technology facilitator for East Maine Elementary District 63 in Des Plaines, has co-authored "Practical Strategies for Increasing Communication and Success for Students with Exceptional Needs" with Kathleen Garrity, pro rata professor at Aurora University's School of Education. Published in the February/March 2015 issue of "Closing the Gap Solutions," a national magazine that focuses on incorporating assistive technology into the lives of persons with disabilities, the piece details practical strategies and adaptive tools that have proved to be successful in working with students with exceptional needs.

• Dr. Larry J. Powitz of Arlington Heights, a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Buffalo Grove, has published the book, "Navigating the Seas of Human Connection," on Amazon.com. The e-book will soon be available as a paperback. The book details how associations and relations form, how to define them, why they can become so volatile and unpredictable and ultimately how to manage them. Powitz provides a system, dividing human relations into easily understood categories and levels, each supported by proven methods to help analyze a relationship's health and status.

• Michael Moylan and Carol Gerardi have joined Glenview Bank & Trust's retail banking team. The new Glenview Bank & Trust location, the latest bank to join the Northbrook Bank & Trust family, is set to open in March. Moylan of Palatine, who also sits on the board of governors at Kohl's Children's Museum, will be the bank's vice president and branch manager. Gerardi, currently an ambassador for the Glenview Chamber of Commerce and experienced small business owner, will be assistant vice president.

• Michelle Smalenberger, director of Client Services and a financial adviser at Kabarec Financial Advisors, Ltd., Palatine, earned the Certified Financial Planner designation from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. Smalenberger, who has been part of the KFA team since 2005, is responsible for preparing and presenting client financial plans, creating and maintaining client accounts and overseeing daily office operations.

• Send Your 'Neighbor in the News' items to Norrine Twohey at ntwohey@dailyherald.com/share.

Adriane Johnson, Buffalo Grove Park District board vice president is congratulated by Peter Murphy, left, IAPD president and chief executive officer and Joe Petry, IAPD chairman of the board. Courtesy of THE Buffalo Grove Park District

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