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New Rolling Meadows alderman says experience as nurse will be asset to council

Rolling Meadows' new Ward 4 alderman points her day-to-day work as an oncology nurse and service on church committees as experiences that have prepared her for her new public role as a representative of her neighbors.

Jenifer Vinezeano, chosen by Mayor Joe Gallo and confirmed on a 5-0 vote of the city council this week, said she will bring compassion and empathy to the position and be an advocate for residents in the ward and entire city.

"I can handle the stressful situations and kind of be the middle person and not take sides and keep calm. My profession requires it," said Vinezeano, who will be sworn in July 23. "I've been screamed at and cried at in the same situation."

Vinezeano and her family moved to Rolling Meadows a little more than a year ago from Palatine, but they have a long-standing connection to the community. Their house near Salk Park used to be owned by her late mother-in-law, and her late father-in-law helped organize the city's annual July 4 parade.

Vinezeano also serves as athletic director at St. Colette School, overseeing competitive sports for boys and girls in grades 5-8. She previously served on the parish's Renew My Church committee, which examined ways to pool resources with three other area Catholic churches.

She works at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights and has been treasurer of the Student Nurses Association of Illinois for two years.

Gallo, the former Ward 4 alderman, needed to find a replacement for his council seat when he was elected mayor in April. In making his selection, he said Vinezeano would be a valuable asset to the council, and to the city as a whole.

Vinezeano's term expires in 2021.

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