Twenty honored, challenged at Influential Women in Business awards

Twenty suburban women business professionals were honored Thursday evening for the personal and professional achievements. But one of their own challenged them to grow the future ranks of women entrepreneurs.

The 20 business leaders and entrepreneurs were recognized at the 14th annual Influential Women in Business Awards, sponsored by the Daily Herald Business Ledger in partnership with the National Association of Women Business Owners — Chicago Area Chapter and the Women's Innovation Network and held at the Meadows Club in Rolling Meadows.

The IWIB awards are presented to outstanding women executives who excel in business, civic and personal arenas, and whose businesses are either located in or have a presence in the suburban Chicago area.

While the winners faced a variety of professional and personal challenges to earn their place among the honored, keynote speaker Sandra Westlund-Deenihan — a IWIB winner in 2007 — issued a new challenge to the honorees to pave the way for a future generation of award winners.

Westlund-Deenihan, president and design engineer of Quality Float Works Inc. in Schaumburg, told the group to use their experience and talents to mentor a new group of women so they can rise up to the level of success the current group has achieved.

“We are in the race of our lives and the country with the best workforce will win the race,” Westlund-Deenihan said.

“Think about the women who will be standing here in the next five years and help them realize their dreams,” she added. “Think about what you can do to help educate, inspire and mentor to make their dreams come true.”

The 2011 Influential Women in Business honorees are:

Ÿ Susan Avello, vice president of AginginfoUSA LLC in Streamwood

Ÿ Jan Bauer, director of small business development, College of Lake County in Grayslake

Ÿ Valerie Beck, president, founder and CEO, Chicago Chocolate Tours/Geneva Chocolate Tours, Chicago

Ÿ Carrie Berens, president, Dynamic Sales Innovations, Aurora

Ÿ Kathleen Caldwell, president/business strategist, Caldwell Consulting Group LLC, Woodstock

Ÿ Jackie Camacho-Ruiz, make it happen director, JJR Marketing, Aurora

Ÿ Jane Cooper, president, Cooper Hong Inc., St. Charles

Ÿ KL Daly, president, Illinois Scholarship Association, Oak Park

Ÿ Carol Koepke, senior marketing director, McDonald's USA LLC, Oak Brook

Ÿ Pam Krieter, CEO, Mainstreet Organization of Realtors, Downers Grove

Ÿ Kathryn Miller, president, HST Materials, Elk Grove Village

Ÿ Sharon Oberlander, managing director — investments, Merrill Lynch, Chicago

Ÿ Judy Phillip, president, Extra Edge, Woodridge

Ÿ Amy Sanders, owner, Virtual Admin Concepts, Bolingbrook

Ÿ Julie Savitt, president, AMS Earth Movers Inc., Lake Bluff

Ÿ Susan Sentell, president and CEO, Gladson, Lisle

Ÿ Donna Smith, executive vice president, Associated Bank, Chicago

Ÿ Maureeen Sullivan Taylor, attorney at law, Sullivan Taylor & Gumina P.C., Wheaton

Ÿ Tina Yagla, P.E., LEED AP, Yagla Engineering Services, Geneva

Ÿ Suzanne Zaccone, president, Zaccone Family Foundation, Burr Ridge

Profiles of the 2011 honorees will be featured in the Dec. 12 issue of the Daily Herald Business Ledger. Presenting sponsors for the event are Associated Bank, B Gunther & Co., and Northern Illinois University College of Business. Corporate sponsor is the Meadows Club, and marketing partner is Leaderboard Tournament Systems.