Business Ledger to honor 18 influential suburban women

Eighteen local women executives will be honored in the 18th Annual Influential Women in Business Awards and Recognition Event hosted by the Business Ledger and their sponsoring partners.

The awards will be presented at a reception beginning at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at Danada House Conference Center, 3S501 Naperville Road, Wheaton. The keynote speaker will be Diane Middlebrooks, coordinator of the Women's Initiative at Itasca Bank & Trust Co. Middlebrooks was honored in the fourth class of Influential Women in Business in 2001.

The awards are presented to outstanding women executives who excel in business, civic and personal arenas. The honorees' business must be located or have a major presence in the Business Ledger's primary editorial coverage area, which includes DuPage, suburban Cook, Kane, Lake, McHenry or Will counties.

This year's honorees are:

• Sarah Anderson, vice president/marketing, VHT Studios Inc., Rosemont

• Carol Blackwood, vice president - retail banking, Village Bank & Trust, Arlington Heights

• Lynn Caldwell, executive director, Fine Line Creative Arts Center, St. Charles

• Martha Carney, program manager, SBDC - College of DuPage, Lisle

• Christina Currie, owner, Christina Currie Events Inc., Barrington

• Amy Florian, CEO, Corgenius, Hoffman Estates

• Karon Gibson, RN CCM, president, AmericaNurse Ltd., Plainfield

• Kaili Harding, president, Schaumburg Business Association, Schaumburg

• Kathleen Henson, founder & CEO, Henson Consulting Inc., Chicago & Wheaton

• Cindy Jaudon, president/CEO, IFS Americas, Itasca

• Amy McCormack, vice president - finance & administration, Dominican University, River Forest

• Angelica Monroy, executive director, British Swim School, Elmhurst

• Liz Richards, executive vice president, MHEDA, Vernon Hills

• Melanie Santostefano, president/founder, Vicarious Productions, Palatine

• Kimberly Shannon, president, Off-Site Business Services, Orland Park

• Lisa Stamos, president, Quintessential Media Group, Barrington

• Eleanor Sweet, CEO, Corporate Success Partners.com, Barrington

• Deborah Winkleblack, vice president, Int. Logistics & Compliance, Claire's Stores, Hoffman Estates

The awards are presented in partnership with the National Association of Women Business Owners - Chicago Area Chapter.

This year's awards are sponsored by Northern Illinois University College of Business; B. Gunther & Co.; Itasca Bank and Trust Co., and Leader Board of Chicago.

Honorees will be profiled in a special issue of the Dec. 7 Business Ledger.

Cost to attend the reception is $55 per person. Registrations are being accepted online at dhbusinessledger.com.

For additional information, call Jim Elsener, manager of business development for the Daily Herald Business Ledger, at (630) 955-3593.