Wheeling principal awarded North Cook Region's top honor
• Community Consolidated School District 21 announced that Alyssa Shlensky Shapiro, principal of Twain Elementary School, Wheeling, was elected as the North Cook Region of the Illinois Principals Association's Elementary School Principal of the Year.
The Horace Mann/IPA Principal of the Year honor recognizes excellence among elementary and middle-level principals. Shlensky Shapiro was honored due to her perseverance during the COVID-19 pandemic and her daily commitment to putting children first.
"(This is) an amazing honor," said District 21 Superintendent Michael Connolly. "Think of all the different elementary schools that are in the North Cook region, and for her to have been elected amongst her peers ... is an amazing achievement and she is extremely deserving of it.
"Talk to anyone who has the opportunity to have worked with Alyssa, at Twain or across the district, and they'll tell you that she is a dedicated, child-centered educator."
Shlensky Shapiro will receive her award and be honored during the IPA's annual student recognition breakfast March 3 at the Belvedere Events & Banquets in Elk Grove Village. She also becomes a candidate for the Illinois IPA Principal of the Year award, to be announced later this year.
• State Rep. Marty Moylan, Des Plaines, will continue advocating for a comprehensive transportation policy as chairman of the Transportation: Rail Systems, Roads and Bridges committee.
"Illinois' transportation system is the lifeblood of our state, touching all industries and leading to greater economic opportunities and quality of life," Moylan said. "We will continue to respond to the needs of our communities so that our transportation system remains safe and accessible."
Moylan will use the knowledge and experience he gained as the chairman of the 102nd General Assembly's House Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges committee to invest in Illinois' transportation infrastructure and improve its safety and efficiency.
Moylan also played a pivotal role in establishing the state's High Speed Railway Commission and has served on the commission since its inception in 2021.
• The Northwest Community Healthcare Medical Group has welcomed Dr. April Szafran.
Dr. Szafran graduated from medical school at the University of Illinois at Chicago and received her Ph.D. in molecular and cellular pathology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
She completed her residency at Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook, New York, and her internship at University of Illinois at Chicago.
Board certified by the American Board of Urology, Dr. Szafran's surgical interests include male reconstruction, prosthetic urology, sexual medicine and endourology.
She sees patients at 800 Central Road in Arlington Heights.
• Tyler Braun was promoted to director of Financial Planning at the Tranel Financial Group in Libertyville.
Braun joined Tranel Financial as a financial adviser in 2010. He has achieved Top 3 Adviser with Broker/Dealer Money Concepts; is a member of the APEX and Pathfinders clubs; co-author of "Eight Things I Wish I Knew Before I Retired"; founder of the R.I.S.E process; and is the Financial Adviser sales team lead.
Braun, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, trained in finance at New England Financial, Brookfield, Wisconsin.
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