Wheaton designer a finalist in national contest
Wheaton resident Janet Davidsen, an interior designer and owner of Details in Design Inc., is heading for New York this week.
She designed the one-of-a-kind Lizzy Chest for a competition hosted by Grange Furniture, and is now one of seven designers in the finals of a national contest.
“It had to be something colorful and use one of their new finishes,” Davidsen said.
The National Colorful Exceptions Design Contest will hold an auction from Jan. 18 through Feb. 3. The minimum price will be $3,495, while the retail price of this piece is $9,995, said Marli Massena Pattillo, a Grange spokeswoman.
The auction will provide 75 percent of the winning bid directly to Davidsen's charity, which is Sunshine House. Davidsen's sister, Elizabeth Gierhahn of Sturgeon Bay, Wis., is challenged with special needs, and works at that facility, Davidsen said.
The designer developed the idea in 2010 from a design she saw at the Charles DeGaulle airport in Paris. The Lizzy Chest has heavily distressed matte gold and turquoise finishes along with tobacco stained drawer interiors.
The chest will be on display for the public in New York this week. Davidsen will be in New York for the contest's launch party on Wednesday. Grange partnered with Traditional Home and New York Spaces magazines on the event and to publicize the seven charities that each finalist selected.
Online voting for the favorite piece of furniture will be on the Grange website, at www.grangeny.com. It's also on Facebook and Twitter.
“The piece is gorgeous and speaks volumes on its own,” said Massena Pattillo.
Heading up Legoland
Cassandra Weber is the new general manager of Legoland Discovery Center Chicago, located in Schaumburg. Weber is relocating from Bloomington, Minn. and is expected to settle in Wauconda. The indoor entertainment center has 3 million Lego bricks.
Businessmen partner on new firm
Paul M. Heinze of Barrington Hills has partnered with Joel C. Goldberg of Chicago to form the Goldberg-Heinze Business Advisors to help businesses. Goldberg is president of G2G Strategies, which specializes in succession planning, business transitions, employee coaching and training, while Heinze is president of the Paul M. Heinze Co., which provides coaching, business appraisals and mergers and acquisitions.
Donating for good causes
The DuPage Community Foundation established four new funds. The Edward and Minnie Ceragioli Fund was established by the Ceragiolis' daughter, Judy Biancalana, who wanted to honor her parents after they passed. The Richard and Mary Kuhn Family Fund, was established by the Naperville couple. Dick has been a board member of the foundation for many years and is an estate planning attorney for 33 years in Naperville. The Malachi 3:10 Fund, was established by Sandy and Sue Jett of Lisle. And the Cleo F. Burtis and James E. Comerford Fund was established by the two, who live in Glen Ellyn. Cleo is a former member of the foundation's grant committee.FastTrackPatrick A. Finn, who owns Patrick A. Finn of Palatine, won seven Key Awards from the Homebuilders Association of Greater Chicago. Finn has finished more than 350 home and remodeling projects around the Northwest Suburbs, with many in Arlington Heights. The trade association is based in Rolling Meadows and is managed by Executive Officer Rita Unzner of McHenry.Justin Pisellini, an Edward Jones financial adviser in Bensenville, marks that office's first anniversary during January. ... And Greg Fornoff has been named head of the Edward Jones office in Bartlett. He had previously worked at the firm's office in Arlington Heights.Andy Bulson of Inverness and Dan Tausk of Clarendon Hills both were promoted to partners at Oakbrook Terrace-based Mid-America Real Estate Corp. ... Dean Young of Chicago is the new national account manager at Libertyville-based SPRI Products Inc., a distributor of rubberized resistance products and fitness accessories. ... Marilyn Zilka is the new senior wealth manager with Lincolnshire-based Ehlert Financial Group Inc.Mount Prospect-based Mizkan Americas, a condiment manufacturer, is spicing things up at its Mizkan Americas, Mizkan Europe and Border Foods Inc. Randy Clark will become the chairman of the newly formed Border Foods advisory board. Clark retired from his full-time position as president and CEO of Border Foods on Dec. 31. Michael Smith was promoted to executive vice president of sales/Border Foods. Bob Gats assumes the new senior leadership role of general manager of Border. Dennis Dedmond was promoted to executive vice president of marketing. Matthew Moore assumes the role of senior vice president, food ingredients. Tom Egan will take on the direct responsibility of the manufacturing facility for Border in Deming, N.M., in addition to his current role as senior vice president of operations. Tom Baker is now vice president, group controller of Mizkan EuroAmericas.
Elmhurst-based CyberKnife Center of Chicago named Anne Dunlap as site administrator to oversee daily operations at the center. It serves Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare. ... Hilary Sopata, an independent beauty consultant for Mary Kay Inc., has signed up as a platinum member with the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce. ... Martin LeFevour of Western Springs has joined Chicago-based Valorem Law Group.
Alan Zielinski, a certified kitchen designer in Niles has been named 2012 president of the National Kitchen Bath Association, which has about 40,000 members. ... Chuck Follett, president and CEO of Follett Corp., has decided to retire after 38 years with the company in River Grove.
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