Movers & shakers
Elizabeth Fair of North Aurora joined the consulting engineering firm of Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc. as a marketing coordinator, assigned to the firm's Aurora office Marketing group. Fair provides marketing support for proposals, advertisements, brochures, in-house training and database management. She previously served as an instructor at Illinois Institute of Art, emphasizing in Web and graphic design and marketing.
Leaders Bank, Oak Brook, appointed Jack Gleason chairman of the executive committee of The Leaders Group Inc., the holding company that owns The Leaders Bank. Gleason, who has 26 years of financial experience, will also continue to serve as director of the company and the bank, to which he was appointed in 2006.
Ross Baumgarten was named first vice president, financial adviser in the Chicago office of Baird, an international, employee-owned financial services firm. Baumgarten is a former pitcher for he Chicago White Sox.
Oak Brook-based vAuto, a provider of high-tech used-car inventory management systems, announced the following additions to its executive staff: Bill Nunan, senior vice president-operations; Rafi Hamid, senior director, digital marketing services; and Steve Chastain, director of marketing.
Earthrise Environmental Inc., Bensenville, promoted Mount Prospect resident Larry McLaughlin, Certified Water Technologist, to district manager, Midwest region. McLaughlin, a four-year veteran of the company.
Rieke Office Interiors, Elgin, promoted Carey Roy of Gilberts to manager of design. Roy has been a designer for Rieke for seven years, having joined the company after receiving a bachelor of arts degree in interior design from Purdue University.
Linda McKnight, vice president of operations/client services at Oakbrook Terrace-based Promodata, celebrated her 25th anniversary with the company.
Michael C. Walther II of Itasca-based Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC was chosen by Institutional Investor News as one of the 20 Rising Stars of Wealth Management for 2008.
Wilmette resident Edward W. Horner Jr. was appointed to the newly created position of executive vice president of the Music Institute of Chicago, Evanston. Horner, who most recently served as senior vice president, strategic initiatives at the Field Museum, is a highly regarded marketing, strategic planning and fundraising expert.
Roy C. Thygesen of Downers Grove, who has 20 years of broad-based baking experience in DuPage and Will counties, was chosen to serve as president and chief executive officer for Burr Ridge Bank and Trust.
Country Financial agency manager Jeff Orman of Batavia received the Platinum International Management Award for excellence in management. The International Management Award is presented annually by GAMA International, a professional organization in the financial services industry.
Mario Tricoci Hair Salons and Day Spas, Palatine, promoted Megan Bueschel to vice president of marketing, charged with brand management and leading all internal and external communications for the company. Bueschel, who joined Mario Tricoci in 2006 as director of marketing, is past-president Chicago Chapter of American Women in Radio and Television and currently serves on the board of the Northwest Cultural Council.
Jennie Gates was hired as manager of individual and corporate giving at Easter Seals DuPage and the Fox Valley Region. Gates joined Easter Seals from the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce where she served as the senior vice president of program services for the past 17 years. Her new roll encompasses working with individual donors and corporate leaders who want to help Easter Seals advance its mission to serve children with disabilities in DuPage, Kane and DeKalb counties.