May 8, 2015
Quote of the Week
"We may gain confidence from our successes, but it's our failures that develop our leadership muscle and offer the most powerful insights."

 

Sally Blount (2011),  

Dean, Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management 

Members in the News
Forbes logo



University of Chicago to Receive Obama Library
Susan Sher
President Obama will choose the University of Chicago as the site for his presidential library, according to several reports and sources close to the Obama family. Susan Sher (1993), a long-time University of Chicago general counsel and senior executive, is leading the push for the University of Chicago to serve as home for the library, the first Presidential library in the State of Illinois. Susan was First Lady Michelle Obama's chief of staff at the beginning of the President's first term. Read more...
Laura Washington Comments on Obama Library 
ABC7 Eyewitness news political analyst Laura Washington (1997) commented on the Obama Library in an interview for ABC7 news. Laura noted that bringing the Obama Library to an urban environment, surrounded by predominantly African American neighborhoods, could be different. "I think that there's a community facet to this that has not existed with the other libraries," Laura Washington said. Read more...
Fortune


Sally Blount on "Why It Is Important to Have a Mentor"

Sally Blount (2011), Dean of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, wrote an op-ed in Fortune Magazine on the importance of mentors for every employee. "Anyone who is building a career needs help along the way. Mentors/coaches/sponsors - regardless of what you call them - we can all benefit from the wisdom and insight of others further along in their careers." Read more...

Irene Rosenfeld in USA Today    Irene Rosenfeld

Irene Rosenfeld (2008), Chairman and CEO of Mondelez International, was highlighted in an USA Today article about the salaries of women CEO. The article also notes that it's been a great year financially for CEOs and for the women who have risen to the top of the corporate ladder.  Read more...

 

Chicago Tribune Logo



NAHA Receives Four Stars!
Chef Carrie Nahabedian 's (2006) NAHA restaurant was reviewed by the Chicago Tribune and received a glowing four-star review from Tribune food critic, Phil Vittel.

What's your favorite restaurant?" is a question that critics answer, at best, with a shrug, and I'm no different in that respect. But, were I pressed for, say, an annual Top 10, Naha would make that list far more often than not.
Read more...

Crain's


Chicago United Releases Report

Chicago United published a special report on diversity and inclusion in business in the print edition of this week's Crain's. Gloria Castillo (2004), Chicago United CEO, provided the opening letter, which addressed the report's primary focus - culture and talent. 


 
Barbara Gaines on Sense and Sensibility
Barbara Gaines (2011), Chicago Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director, is directing the world premiere of composer Paul Gordon's adaptation of "Sense and Sensibility," the story of two sisters navigating the road to love, playing through June 7. The musical adaptation was recently featured in SPLASH, a Chicago Sun-Times publication. 

 

"Jane Austen's writing was in my life from a very young age," says Barbara Gaines
. "The story of two sisters navigating the road to love. Her writing is so clever and witty and wonderfully romantic, it's hard not to be drawn in by her characters and their stories." Read more...

TCN members are invited to a special TCN Member and guest night out at the production on June 2nd. There will be a champagne reception during intermission and an exclusive Q&A session with Barbara after the show. T
o reserve, call VIP Concierge Chris Pazdernik at: (312) 667 - 4949. To read more about the play, click here! 
Women on Boards
Fund Managers Diversifying Board Makeup
From Mary Kay Haben (1998):
Investment News recently published an article about mutual fund manager BlackRock Inc., which has reportedly revised its proxy voting guidelines and may for the first time oppose the re-election of corporate directors, should it determine that a board's makeup is insufficiently diverse. At a time when only 17% of Fortune 500 board seats are held by women, this new policy by the largest money manager in the world could be a game changer.

"Advancing women in corporate leadership is not only the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do. Companies with diverse boards perform better for their shareholders. Seventeen percent is no longer acceptable. Gender inequality in the boardroom is no longer acceptable. BlackRock has decided to be part of the solution. It's time for other mutual fund managers to follow suit, and financial advisers are one key group to influence the change," said Joe Keefe, CEO of Pax World Funds and the Pax Ellevate Global Women's Index Fund. Read more...
New Roles
Beth Reese Named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Beth Reese (2013) has been appointed to executive vice president and chief financial officer of Nicor Gas, an AGL Resources Company. Beth formerly served as senior vice president. Since joining the company in 2000, Beth has served as vice president of several business units, including operational planning and analysis, business innovation, customer service and finance, and she also served as controller. She became the first female president of Nicor Gas in 2012. In her role as executive vice president and chief financial officer, Beth will direct finance, accounting, and business planning functions for all AGL Resources businesses. Read more...
Awards & Announcements

TCN Members Among Top 25 Women in Healthcare  

Debra Cafaro (2007), Chairman and CEO of Ventas, Inc., and Patricia Hemingway Hall (2008), President and CEO of Health Care Service Corp., were among Modern Healthcare's 2015 list of the top 25 Women in Healthcare. Read more...  

Elizabeth Brackett to Receive Honorary Degree 

Elizabeth Brackett (1999), Correspondent for WTTW, will recieve an honorary degree from Governors State University, which will be presented by the University Board of Trustees and President Elaine Maimon (2005). A dinner recognizing the recipients will be held on Friday, May 15 at the Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University.

Brindille's Design Firm Awarded

Brindille's ( Carrie Nahabedian (2006)) design firm, Bureau of Architecture and Design, received the Outstanding Restaurant Design Award for spaces with 75 seats or fewer for its work on Brindille at the James Beard Foundation Awards, held at the Civic Opera House on May 4, 2015. Read more...

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TCN Members Participate in Panel Discussion on International Boardrooms 

Sheila Penrose (1995), chairman of Jones Lang LaSalle, served as a panelist and Madeleine Condit (1998), founder and CEO of Madeleine Condit & Associates, LLC., moderated the Chicago Council on Global Affairs' corporate program, Great Expectations: Inside the International Boardroom, on Tuesday, May 5 at the Standard Club. Read more... 

Jill Smart Contributes to HR Book, The Rise of HR 

Jill Smart (2003), President of the National Academy of Human Resources, has contributed an essay in the book, The Rise of HR: Wisdom from 73 Thought Leaders, which is a new anthology published by the HR Certification Institute. The essays address how HR professionals are the principal stewards of their organizations' talent and culture, describing how HR practitioners must live up to and even extend expectations of their profession's growing and evolving role, especially in light of the shifts in demographics and the impacts of technology on the workplace. Jill's essay, "Speak the Language!" discusses how HR professionals must first and foremost be business professionals, and describes ways to accomplish that. Read more...

Pamela Turbeville Served as Panelist for the 14th Annual Arab and African Women's Congress in Cairo, Egypt

From Pamela Turbeville (1999):

On April 30, I had the privilege of being part of a panel with two academic pediatricians on "Smarter Babies, Happier Moms" at the 14 th Annual Arab and African Women's Congress in Cairo, Egypt. I illustrated how the i-calQ System (smartphone, reader, app, disposable cassette) could measure any newborn baby for congenital hypothyroidism anywhere, for less than US$2 with minimal blood. The baby can then be treated inexpensively with thyroxine preventing cretinism (mentally retarded, dwarfed, often deaf & mute with lifelong health problems). The presentation went extremely well with invitations to visit many countries to discuss pilots. 
Nila Leiserowitz on Active Design and Human Sustainability
Nila Leiserowitz (2013), Managing Principal at Gensler, participated in Krueger International's "Active Design" panel discussion focused on the topic of active design and human sustainability. The event took place at the New York Design Center on Tuesday, April 28. Read more...
Maryann Waryjas Part of Suez Canal Delegation and Safety Leadership Meetings

The Suez Canal has about 50 ships passing through its waters each day in north and south bound convoys. Canal fees contribute approximately $5 billion to the Egyptian economy annually, but the Canal is restricted by its narrow width and its depth, which are not sufficient to accommodate 2-way traffic. In August 2014, the Suez Canal Authority announced an ambitious $8.5 billion project to double Egypt's Canal revenue. The New Suez Canal Project is a once in a lifetime project, with all the world's major dredging companies, in 2 separate joint ventures, participating in dredging over 240 million m3 in 10 months. The joint ventures are excavating over 2 million m3/day utilizing between 30-40 of the world's largest and most technologically advanced dredges. Work is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2015. 

 

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) , the largest provider of dredging services in the U.S.A., is part of a joint venture with Dredging, Environmental & Marine Engineering, N.V. (DEME) widening and deepening to -79 feet a 25 kilometer portion of the western branch of the Suez Canal at Great Bitter Lake, Deversoir Reach and Kabret Reach. On April 25-28, (Maryann Waryjas (2009)), SVP, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of GLDD, visited the Suez dredging operations, toured vessels in the GLDD and DEME fleets, and participated in multi-national Safety Leadership Team meetings in Cairo with representatives of GLDD, DEME and the Suez Canal Authority. GLDD's Mid-East Division is known for its effective and innovative approach to an Incident and Injury Free (IIF) Safety Culture. The meetings were designed to enhance safety and security for all personnel involved in the New Suez Canal Project, and to share best safety practices, domestically and internationally, among all the participants.

 

The Suez Canal is vital to the global economy, providing the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia, and the New Suez Canal Project will provide social and economic benefits to the region and around the globe.  Great Lakes is pleased to be part of this significant project that will have global trade and business impacts.
Maryann Waryjas and Sam Morrison, Head of GLDD's Mid-East Division, at the dredge Carolina on the Suez Canal at the southern end of Great Bitter Lake.


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Communications Director

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