Neighbors in the news: Advocate Condell medical-surgical nurse receives top honor
• Katherine Davey, a medical-surgical registered nurse at Advocate Condell Medical Center, Libertyville, was selected as a 2022 Nurse of the Year for her exemplary demonstration of Advocate Health Care's core nursing values and unwavering delivery of exceptional nursing care.
Davey was praised for her calm and collected demeanor, and for being a strong and knowledgeable resource as a certified medical-surgical registered nurse. Her colleagues describe her as having a keen eye for detail and for working tirelessly to promote a safe place for patients and staff.
"Kate is an excellent clinical nurse and has been a strong leader within Shared Governance," said Rachel Loberg, chief nursing officer at Advocate Condell Medical Center.
"She's a positive influence on all those around her and we're thrilled to recognize her for this award."
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Lake Zurich native Flora Duff, 29, an engineer at Scottish Water Company in Edinburgh, Scotland, received the 2022 Junior President's Award from the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management during its annual awards event.
The nonprofit CIWEM represents and supports a community of thousands of members and organizations in more than 89 countries who are dedicated to improving water and environmental management for the benefit of the public. 2022 marked the first year the organization has awarded someone with such a high accolade so early on in their career.
Duff's father emigrated from Scotland to the Unites States as a young man to become a race mechanic. In 2016, she did the same journey in reverse to work for Scottish Water, after being inspired by the beauty of her family's ancestral home. Since then, she has worked tirelessly as an environmentalist, engineer and mentor to young people.
The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the field in the past year. Duff was awarded for her creativity, energy and commitment.
Over the past year she has, among other things, set up an Edinburgh Wildlife Watch Group for young people in Edinburgh; lectured first year environmental engineering students at the University of Iowa; and helped raise thousands of dollars for social and environmental charities.
"I am shocked and flattered to have won this award from such a far-reaching organization. I am passionate about water and the environment, both in and outside of work," said Duff.
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Palatine resident Leslie Van Wolvelear was honored as a 2022 Distinguished Alumni from Harper College on Oct. 20. Van Wolvelear is a professor of accounting and chairwoman of the accounting program at Oakton College in Des Plaines.
The Distinguished Alumni Awards program at Harper College recognizes Harper College alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers and in their service to the community. The program launched in 2008 and, to date, a total of 78 individuals have been honored.
After high school, Van Wolvelear attended Harper College and went on to earn a degree in business administration. She then transferred to the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she earned a bachelor's degree in accounting. In 2021, she earned her doctorate in educational leadership with a focus on online education.
Van Wolvelear's many accolades include the title of Distinguished eLearning Educator by the Instructional Technology Council, Outstanding Educator Award by the Illinois CPA Society, and nominations for the Excellence in Teaching Award at Oakton.
She also reviews scholarship applications for future CPAs for the Colorado-based Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges, the Illinois CPA Society and Oakton College.
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Kenway Consulting in Chicago announced the promotion of Amy Wilkins of Arlington Heights to chief operating officer, responsible for leading day-to-day operations, including strategic planning, human resources and financial operations.
Wilkins joined Kenway in 2011 as a management consultant and most recently served as the company's managing director of client delivery.
During her time with Kenway, she has been instrumental in leading its client delivery organization to double-digit growth while maintaining extremely high levels of client satisfaction.
"Amy has been an incredible asset to Kenway over the years, and her proven track record of strong leadership and successful delivery has been instrumental in helping drive Kenway's growth," said Matt Kueker, CEO, Kenway Consulting.
"Even more impressive is the integrity, trust and honesty she brings to all she does. Amy embodies Kenway's guiding principles and mission, and I am thrilled to work with her in this new role."
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