Suburban artists display works in national juried exhibit
• The artwork of Tobi Abrams of Arlington Heights and JoAnn Kennedy of Crystal Lake are part of a juried, national exhibition being held at the Blue Cat Gallery & Studio in Wayne, Nebraska, through Aug. 28.
The exhibition, "Signs of Rural Life," features artwork exploring rural themes created by artists from Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Georgia and Connecticut. The mediums represented vary, including gouache and cold wax paintings, woodcut prints, color and black/white photography, digital works, works on paper and more.
The juror, Russ Nordman, professor of Digital Media at University of Nebraska-Omaha, selected the works featured in the exhibit.
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Rick LaBerge, executive vice president and chief operating officer at HARIBO of America, Rosemont, was elected to the Carthage College Board of Trustees.
LaBerge, who has built iconic brands as a leader in global sales and marketing strategy for more than 25 years, holds a bachelor of science in marketing and business economics from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Cornell University in New York.
He is an active member of the board for both Food and Beverage Wisconsin and the German American Business Council.
"I'm honored to join the Carthage College Board of Trustees and become part of this inspiring group of leaders," LaBerge said.
"HARIBO and Carthage have already partnered in shared values on the scholarship fund, helping students in need finish their education, and I'm looking forward to the great things we'll accomplish together to continue to uplift and give back to students and the community."
The board of trustees will officially welcome LaBerge as a trustee at its October meeting. The board has ultimate governing and fiduciary responsibility for the college.
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Des Plaines resident Amy Cengel will return this fall to Des Plaines School District 62 as principal of Forest Elementary School. Cengel will replace Ania Figueroa, who has accepted a position in Wheeling District 21.
Cengel most recently served as principal at North Shore School District 112's Oak Terrace Elementary School in Highwood. Prior to that she was principal at South Elementary School in District 62 for three years and had also served as an instructional coach and middle school teacher in District 62.
Cengel holds a bachelor's degree in Spanish and sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master's degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
"I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve our community in this capacity and look forward to a great year ahead," said Cengel. "I look forward to returning home to District 62."
• Inverness resident Nicolette Schmidt has earned the Knox College Psychology Department's Robert Stevens Harper Prize for graduate study in psychology.
The Robert Stevens Harper Prize is awarded annually to the student who best exemplifies Professor Harper's philosophy of education, and who has been accepted into a Ph.D. program in some area of psychology.
Schmidt holds a major in physics and is a member of the Knox College Class of 2021.