Winners announced for 10th District Leadership Awards

U.S. Congressman Robert Dold (IL-10) recently announced the winners of the 10th District Leadership Awards. Rep. Dold made the announcement at an awards ceremony in Lake Forest.

"The 10th Congressional District has many advantages, but undoubtedly our greatest resource is the people," Dold said. "That's what the 10th District Leadership Awards is all about: recognizing the everyday heroes in our community. It was an honor to recognize these inspiring men and women who make our community an amazing place to live, work and raise children."

Winners were recognized in six categories:

• The Entrepreneurial Excellence Award is given to a businessman or businesswoman who has demonstrated entrepreneurial excellence as part of a small business or startup in the community that has succeeded in implanting innovative strategies to establish a thriving local business.

The winner was Troy Livingston of Buffalo Grove, president of Livingston Products Inc. in Buffalo Grove since it was founded in 1987. He is credited with more than 50 patents and years of experience designing and building original products.

Livingston routinely speaks to high school students about engineering and innovation and has inspired many to become engineers. His newest product is Freedom Trax, a motorized system that transforms nearly any manual wheelchair into an off-road vehicle that can traverse rough terrain.

Finalists included Marcia Tazioli of Highland Park and Sam Cunningham of Waukegan.

• The Helping Heroes Award is given to a resident of the 10th District who has answered the call to help America's heroes by bettering the lives of veterans and their families. The winner can be a veteran or simply a dedicated community member.

The winner was Paula Carballido of North Chicago, program director for Lake County Honor Flight and president of the Exchange Club of North Chicago. Honor Flight flies veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit memorials dedicated to their service. The Exchange Club of North Chicago is the first and only Exchange Club to initiate an Honor Flight Hub.

Carballido also serves on the Lake County State's Attorney Citizen's Advisory Board and was recently appointed as the first Hispanic person to serve on the Zoning Board of Appeals for North Chicago.

Finalists included Mary Carmody of North Chicago and Paul Baffico of Lake Forest.

• The Exceptional Educator Award is given to a teacher at any level who has dedicated him- or herself to helping students achieve success in and out of the classroom. This individual will have effectively implemented innovative methods in their classroom and created a positive learning environment.

The winner was Kirk Humphreys of Deerfield, a teacher at Caruso Middle School. He "flips" the classroom by using video to share information with students at home, then he supports learning in class. Humphreys' classroom is highly engaging: students know they can count on Mr. H., and he uses technology to facilitate their learning. He never uses a lecture-style approach - he uses a personalized learning technique for all students every day.

Finalists included Kevin O'Neill of Libertyville and Kelly O'Connor of North Chicago.

• The Community Service Award is given to an individual who has positively affected the welfare of the community through volunteerism. This individual is committed to focusing on the needs of the region and enhancing the quality of life for members of our community.

The winner was Jamie Epstein of Vernon Hills, the founder of the Stand Strong Coalition, who helped the organization receive a federal grant for $625,000 to prevent substance abuse. She also encouraged Lincolnshire to add a prescription drug drop box and to change their social host ordinance.

She is the Court Appointed Special Advocate for Lake County and the vice president of the Patriot Parents Association at Stevenson High School. She has also organized numerous other campaigns to prevent substance abuse.

Finalists included Pam Weiss of Grayslake and Brian Floriani of Lake Forest.

• The Friend of the Environment Award is given to somebody who has worked diligently to keeping the air, water and habitat clean for future generations. This individual works to improve our environment and encourages others to join the cause.

The winner was Ann Maine of Lincolnshire, who represents Lake County Board District 21. She is a Biology Senior Lecturer at Lake Forest College and a member of Conserve Lake County, the Lincolnshire Garden Club and the Ryerson Woods Board.

She founded Gardening for Incarcerated Youth at Depke Center in Vernon Hills, and also helped create the Green Youth Farm. The Green Youth Farm helps less fortunate students to work, grow food and sell it. Maine has inspired young and old by being very hands on and personally working side-by-side.

Finalists included Keith Gray of Mettawa and Debbie Maurer of Libertyville.

• The Young Leader Award is given to a young person who has demonstrated leadership and is an outstanding example to their peers. This individual will have proved their exceptional character in their school and/or local community. Their leadership experience can come through a variety of different experiences, including but not limited to: athletics, arts, science, clubs, volunteering and academics.

The winner was Bradley Wilinski of Gurnee, a Youth Ambassador for the Tourette Association. Diagnosed at age 7 with Tourette Syndrome, Wilinski soon realized the best way to combat ignorance was to educate others. He was named the Illinois Tourette Syndrome Ambassador for Illinois in 2013 and was trained to go to schools to speak and help others with TS.

Wilinski has spoken at a Congressional luncheon in Washington, D.C., won the Red Cross Youth Hero Award and won the Governor's Award for Volunteerism and Service.

Finalists included Erin Williams of Waukegan and Jamie Schlacter of Lincolnshire.

• In addition to these six awards, Dold recognized Bill and Betty Burns of Lake Villa with the special Public Servant Award. The Public Servant Award is given to recognize a lifetime of achievement serving the local community.

Nominations were solicited from across the 10th District during October. A committee of local experts picked three finalists in each category from a pool of more than 150 nominees. Online voting took place in early November and the winners were announced on Nov. 9.