Local leaders to speak at West Dundee meeting

Local leaders Carol Gieske, Melissa Hernandez and Jennifer Fukala will present the state of local business taking place in the Northern Kane County and Elgin areas during free guest day at the WIM Fox Valley meeting on Thursday, Nov. 8 at Emmett's Brewing Co. at 128 W. Main St. in West Dundee.

Reservations must be made for attendance online at wimfoxvalley.org

Gieske, president of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce since 2012, collaborates, promotes, and businesses throughout the Elgin area. She provides leadership, builds consensus, and develops strong relationships with key stakeholders and ensures the Chamber is relevant, impactful and purposeful to its members and the community. In 2014, the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce was named among the top 3 percent of all chambers nationwide.

Hernandez has served as Northern Kane County Chamber of Commerce president for the past 12 years. She has participated on committees for several of the villages represented by the chamber, including Business Development for the Village of Carpentersville and the Business Planning Committee for the Village of Gilberts. She is a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Dundee Township and Consumer Credit Counseling of Northern Illinois and president-elect of the Carpentersville Morning Rotary.

Fukala is executive director of the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin. After becoming a homeowner in Elgin, Fukala, a Larkin High School graduate, became heavily involved in the Elgin volunteer community. She served as the president of her neighborhood association, working with Neighborhood Housing Services and on area events such as the Historic Elgin House tour. Her passion for volunteerism grew into an opportunity for her to work for the improvement of the community through her full-time position with the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin.

This month's WIM Fox Valley sponsor is the organization's co-founder Pat Szpekowski, APR, president of PR Strategies and PmS Avertising Inc. in Elgin. Louis, a Campton Hills resident, owns Louis Consulting, Inc. in Elgin, IL. She adds, "Our upcoming speakers and programs again bring top level topics and expertise to our membership. We welcome business women in the community to join us, network, and make new community connections."