Neighbors in the news
On Aug. 10, Linda Cesario of Arlington Heights received the President's Volunteer Service Award from President George W. Bush during a ceremony held at O'Hare Airport.
Cesario, who was nominated by The Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago for her outstanding service to the community, is a member of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program Speaker's Bureau. She conducts workshops on public speaking, volunteerism, parliamentary procedure, managing stress and resolving conflict in the workplace.
Also nominated for her volunteer work on behalf of adult literacy, Cesario tutors students with the Township High School District's Read to Learn for a Brighter Future program, the Women's Center at District 214, and the Literacy Office of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. She also volunteers as a reading room librarian at the Arlington Heights Senior Center.
• Marla S. Laurin of Palatine passed the CMA certification examination earning the Certified Medical Assistant credential from the American Association of Medical Assistants. Laurin, a graduate of the medical assisting program at Harper College, Palatine, is employed by DuPage Medical Group in Glen Ellyn.
• The Rev. Hilary Landau Krivchenia joined Countryside Unitarian Universalist Church, Palatine, as its new settled minister.
Krivchenia previously served for eight years as the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lafayette, Ind., after receiving her master of divinity degree at Meadville/Lombard Theological School in Chicago. She preached her first sermon at the church on Sunday, Sept. 6.
• Quest Academy, Palatine, appointed Michael J. Bates of Arlington Heights director of institutional advancement and chief development officer, responsible for advancing the mission and impact of Quest Academy.
Bates, who previously served as director of philanthropy/capital campaign for the Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Foundation, will be charged with strengthening and integrating overall programs, policies and strategies for development, marketing and enrollment management, alumni relations, public relations and publications.
He holds a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from Drake University; a master of science degree in public service management from DePaul University; and has completed graduate course work at Loyola University Chicago in organization development.