Haiti an ‘eye-opening’ experience for Moto executive

Matthew Blakely, director of Schaumburg-based Motorola Solutions Foundation returned from a whirlwind tour of Haiti that was an “eye-opening experience,” he said of the turmoil that still exists there 2 years after the devastating earthquake.

In late January, we wrote that he planned to travel on Feb. 15 with American Red Cross officials and representatives from Citigroup, Costco, Campbell Soup, and United Airlines to see several recovery sites in Port-au-Prince.

He visited the Red Cross base camp, a new transitional housing community, a tent camp, disaster preparedness classes for adults and children, and the Bernard Mevs hospital — the only acute trauma and critical care facility in Haiti.

Much of the infrastructure in Haiti, which was reportedly not very good before the earthquake, is still in disarray,” Blakely said. “Only a few hundred yards from the airport, the streets are crowded and full of potholes that make traveling through the city a bumpy, winding experience.”

Some buildings have been reconstructed, but many still lay in ruins. Many buildings still carry the spray paint marks left by inspectors that indicate whether the building is habitable, damaged or too damaged to live in. Few parts of Port-au-Prince have their own sewage or electricity, Blakely said.

The Red Cross base camp still operates under its own generators and is responsible for its own sewage treatment.

“Most of the cooking done by people in the city is done on charcoal ovens. In the tent camps, entire families share dirt-floor tents made from blue, gray and brown tarps donated by relief organizations,” Blakely said. “Families in the camps usually only get one meal a day, purchased from vendors in the camps or outside.”

Despite this, there are great efforts taking place at the hands of relief workers and Haitians themselves to provide the necessities of day-to-day life. Along the streets, vendors set up small tents where they try to sell food, spare parts or clothing. Organizations like the Red Cross and the United Nation Office of Project Services are building wooden transitional houses with concrete floors to house families until more permanent shelters can be built, Blakely said.

Other groups, like Medishare and Doctors Without Borders, try to provide medical care in crowded hospitals, he said.

“More than 600 Haitian volunteers in bright red vests help the Red Cross deliver disaster preparedness education, vaccinations or organize the tent camps,” he said.

Pampered Chef CEO honored

Doris Christopher, founder of The Pampered Chef Ltd. in Addison, will receive the Torchbearer Award from the Better Business Bureau in Chicago at the organization’s annual dinner meeting March 15 at the Hilton Palmer House Hotel. She’s being honored for her “consistent dedication to ethical business practices throughout her career as a highly successful business owner,” the BBB said.

Another Kraft marks 50 years

Brothers John, Bob and Pete Kraft are marking the 50th year of K.W. Kraft & Sons Inc., plumbing contractors in Batavia. The business was started in 1962 by Karl W. Kraft. Karl, 91 and retired, still comes into the office almost daily for the “coffee hour.” Also, Jaymie, a third generation Kraft, is employed there. Kraft Plumbing employs seven people and runs six trucks out of its facility at 923 First St., Batavia.

Memories of Bloomingdale chamber

Ed Levato Sr. is a founding member of the Bloomingdale Chamber of Commerce, which marks its 30th anniversary this year. He said his group was perhaps one of the first to host a golf outing to help raise money. “In fact, I don’t even remember any social or charitable group sponsoring a golf event. It turned out to be a lot of fun and did raise a decent amount of money,” Levato said in the chamber newsletter. “Our board took it as a compliment that within 5 years almost all local chambers followed suit and started golf outings as fundraisers. So many clubs and charities now have golf fundraisers that an active member of the community can easily be invited to 10-15 outings per year to raise money for some worthwhile cause or another.”

FastTrack

John Schmitt, CEO of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, and other chamber members are heading to China in late October for a 9-day visit. As proponents of the free trade agreement, the business leaders plan to explore China and development stronger business relationships. ... Kim and Tom Nestelbergers of Crystal Lake just opened a New York-style pizza restaurant called That’s Amore Pizza, 5610 S. Route 31 in Crystal Lake. ... Mario Tricoci, founder of Mario Tricoci Hair Salons & Day Spas said he has redesigned his salon at 675 Mall Drive in Schaumburg, that includes an expanded waiting area, smooth river rocks throughout, custom designed seating, new women’s spa locker room with a rain shower and other updates.

Stephen B. Field, a 20-year banking veteran from Hoffman Estates, joined Thomas Compliance Associates Inc. in Chicago. The firm provides government compliance and risk management consulting to nearly 300 banks nationwide. Field will help client banks to ensure their IT programs meet federal banking requirements and conduct federally mandated independent IT reviews. ... Bob Degnan, executive vice president of commercial operations for Mundelein-based Sysmex America Inc., a subsidiary of Sysmex Corp. in Kobe, Japan, is expanding his sales unit to handle an increased demand for its hematology, urinalysis and middleware offerings.

Chiropractic physician Michael McKellar of Lombard has joined Stephens Chiropractic Center, which has offices in Elgin and Carol Stream. ... Condolences to Luanne Triolo Newman, executive director of the Carol Stream Chamber of Commerce, on the death of her father in Florida. ... Harish Patel of Bartlett is the newest certified financial planner for MetLife, which has an office in Downers Grove. Patel works in Bartlett. ... John Kenning starts April 2 as executive vice president and president of the Contract business at Naperville-based OfficeMax.

Welcome to the club: Jane Hove, president and CEO of the Bloomingdale Chamber of Commerce, is recovering from broken bones in her right foot and a sprained left ankle. ... And I broke my right foot as well, so I’ve been working from home.

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