CHICAGO, Jan. 31 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ – Earl Webb, President, U.S. Operations, Avison Young, announced today that Suzanne Martinez, a 14-year Capital Markets veteran of Jones Lang LaSalle, has joined
Avison Young as a Principal and Senior Vice-President in the Capital
Markets Group. She will be based in Chicago.

Effective immediately, Martinez will focus on expanding Avison Young’s
regional investment sales and financial advisory capabilities. Having
completed more than $3 billion of real estate transactions during her
career, Martinez has assisted corporate clients, institutional clients
and private clients in maximizing their real estate values.

“We are pleased to have Suzanne join our team. As an investment sale
specialist, Suzanne will work with corporate and institutional clients
to align their real estate occupancy strategies with their financial
objectives,” comments Webb. “With her career achievements, professional
skill set and deep background in the industry, she will fit in well
with Avison Young’s commitment to focus on client needs. By
strengthening our Capital Markets capabilities, we are continuing to
build on our robust full-service, client-driven platform.”

Avison Young is Canada’s largest independently-owned commercial real
estate services company. Over the past two years, the company has grown
from 11 to 23 offices and from 300 to more than 700 real estate
professionals across Canada and in the U.S.

“Creative solutions, including tapping into non-traditional capital
sources, are critical to success in today’s real estate market. I’m
energized by helping my clients meet this challenge through Avison
Young, and look forward to collaborating with our Canadian counterparts
to bring new capital sources into the U.S.,” says Martinez, who will
focus on generating further cross-border transactions. “Avison Young is
the right place to be at this point in my career because the company is
committed to growing locally, nationally and globally.”

Martinez has directed transactions for major corporations, institutional
investors, developers and financial institutions, including Adidas,
Albertsons, Bank of America, Couche-Tard, EDS, GE Capital, General
Motors, HSBC, Hewitt Associates, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, Motorola,
Rite Aid, Target, Tenet Healthcare, Unisys, United Healthcare and
Wal-Mart.

Achievements include: member of Deloitte’s 100 Wise Women Network -
protege to Jones Lang LaSalle’s Chairwoman Shelia Penrose; Illinois Real Estate Journal‘s Women in Commercial Real Estate Awards – Community Service Award
nominee 2008 and 2009; and 2005 National Association of Industrial and
Office Properties (NAIOP) nominee for largest suburban transaction
(Hewitt office portfolio, $299 million).

Martinez holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at
Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is an associate member of
the International Council of Shopping Centers and a member of the Urban
Land Institute.

“We are delighted to have Suzanne on board to assist in the expansion of
our Capital Markets team, both in Chicago and nationwide. Her industry
relationships, execution track record and experience speak for
themselves,” adds James Solomon, Managing Director, U.S. Capital Markets. “She will bring a broad
perspective and hands-on approach for our institutional and private
real estate clients.”

Founded in 1978, Avison Young is Canada’s largest independently-owned commercial real estate services
company and the only national, Canadian-owned, principal-managed real
estate brokerage firm in the country. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario
and ranked among Canada’s leading national commercial real estate
organizations, Avison Young is a full-service commercial real estate
company comprising more than 700 real estate professionals in 23
offices across Canada and in the U.S. The company provides value-added,
client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management,
financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of
office, retail, industrial and multi-residential properties.

Editors/Reporters: please click on link to view and download photo of Suzanne Martinez
http://chicagopressrelease.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/cb58a7ebMartinezweb.jpg

SOURCE Avison Young (Canada) Inc.

Suzanne Martinez joins Avison Young as Senior VP, Capital Markets Group in Chicago | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO, Sept. 16 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Harris myCFO™ today announced that Debbie DiLeonardi has been appointed as Director and Senior Investment Advisor.  She will be based in Chicago, and will join the Harris myCFO Investment Advisory Services team to provide integrated investment advice to, and drive investment strategies for ultra-high-net worth individuals and families located across the United States.

Harris myCFO Investment Advisory Services, LLC was created to help simplify the complex investment planning process for affluent clients by integrating all aspects of their financial life and providing customized solutions to meet their sophisticated needs.

“Debbie brings a unique set of knowledge and skills to our investment team resulting from her deep experience in advising both high-net-worth and institutional investors,” said Craig Rawlins, President, Harris myCFO Investment Advisory Services LLC.  ”She has been responsible for guiding investment policy, strategy, and implementation using a consultative, process-oriented approach and has a passion for delivering exceptional service which will be extremely beneficial for our ultra-high-net worth clients.”

DiLeonardi has more than 28 years of investment advisory, wealth management, and tax experience.  She most recently served as Senior Client Executive at Russell Investments where she was responsible for managing client relationships totaling over $3 billion in Assets Under Management.  She also was responsible for delivering investment advisory and investment implementation services to endowments, foundations, and defined benefit & defined contribution plans.

Prior to Russell, Debbie spent four years at Ernst & Young, LLP serving in the personal financial counseling and investment advisory practice where she advised high-net-worth individuals, family groups, and C-level executives.  Her experience in wealth management began with Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth where she spent five years as an investment advisor.

A resident of Glencoe, Illinois, DiLeonardi received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Michigan State University.  DiLeonardi is a Chartered Public Accountant and a Certified Financial Planner. She currently serves on the board of the Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation.

About Harris myCFO™

Harris myCFO™ has a dedicated focus on ultra high-net-worth individuals and families.  It offers its clients an integrated family office solution utilizing services that include investment advisory, income tax planning and compliance, estate planning services, philanthropic advisory, insurance evaluation, financial reporting and expense management.  Harris myCFO™ is a member of the Harris Family of wealth management solutions.

Harris® and Harris Private Bank are trade names used by various subsidiary financial service providers of Harris Financial Corp. Banking services offered through Harris Private Bank are provided by Harris N.A.  The Harris Bank N.A. and their bank affiliates.  Member FDIC.  Harris myCFO™ is a brand used by Harris myCFO, Inc. providing Family Office Services.  Harris myCFO Investment Advisory Services LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor and certain divisions of Harris N.A. that are national banks with trust powers.  Not all products and services are offered in every state and/or location.  Investment products are: NOT FDIC INSURED _ MAY LOSE VALUE_CARRY NO BANK GUARANTEE.

SOURCE Harris Bank

http://www.harrisbank.com

Harris myCFO™ Appoints Debbie DiLeonardi as Director and Senior Investment Advisor | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Firms will work together to meet financial service needs of clients

CHICAGO, Aug. 4 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Delaware Place Bank, Chicago and Mesirow Financial today announced that they have formed a strategic relationship to strengthen Delaware Place Bank’s offering of services to its clients.  Delaware Place Bank clients will be able to access Mesirow Financial for the purpose of meeting a client’s non-FDIC insured investment needs.  This relationship will raise the visibility and awareness of Delaware Place Bank to Mesirow Financial’s professionals, which may lead to referrals of Mesirow Financial clients to Delaware Place Bank for business and private banking services and FDIC-insured financial products.

“We are delighted to further develop our relationship with Chicago’s own Mesirow Financial to better meet our client’s non-deposit investment needs.  The firm is the ideal addition to our service offerings to our clients, with more than $40 billion in assets under management, a range of financial services, and extensive experience with high net worth individuals and business owner-operators who comprise a significant portion of our client base,” said Theodore J. Aldrich, president and chief operating officer of Delaware Place Bank.  ”We believe that their unbiased, independent approach to investment management and unparallel client commitment will serve our clients well.”

“It’s important to have strong relationships with the leading providers of banking services,” said Julie E. Vander Weele, senior managing director, Investment Advisory, at Mesirow Financial. “Our firms share a commitment to offering clients a range of solutions to their financial needs.”

Delaware Place Bank clients can gain investment advice from Mesirow Financial Investment Advisory, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor, which manages more than $4 billion in assets, primarily for high net worth individuals.  Another outgrowth of this relationship may be for Mesirow Financial Investment Advisory to refer select clients in need of business and private banking services and FDIC-insured investments to Delaware Place Bank.  Delaware Place Bank has a comprehensive line of loans, cash management services and insured depository products as well as extensive experience in meeting the business and personal banking needs of owner-operators and high net worth individuals.

Mesirow Financial is not affiliated with Delaware Place Bank.  Securities, advisory and insurance including annuities and mutual funds:

• are NOT FDIC insured
• are NOT deposits or other obligations of any Bank and are NOT guaranteed by any Bank; and,
• Are subject to risks, including the possible loss of principal amount invested.

About Delaware Place Bank

Delaware Place Bank, which had assets of $304.8 million at March 31, 2010, is focused on the business banking needs of Chicago-area companies and the private banking needs of individuals and professionals. The bank is located at 190 East Delaware Place, Chicago. Additional information regarding Delaware Place Bank can be found on the Company’s website at www.delawareplacebank.com.

About Mesirow Financial

Mesirow Financial is a diversified financial services firm headquartered in Chicago. Founded in 1937, the Company is an independent employee-owned firm with offices across the country and in London. With expertise in Investment Management, Global Markets, Insurance Services and Consulting, Mesirow Financial strives to meet the financial needs of institutions, public sector entities, corporations and individuals. For more information about Mesirow Financial, visit its Web site at mesirowfinancial.com.

SOURCE Delaware Place Bank

http://www.delawareplacebank.com

Delaware Place Bank, Chicago Develops Strategic Relationship With Mesirow Financial | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Guests Saturday at Western DuPage Special Recreation’s charity dinner and auction, “There’s No Place Like WDSRA,” will walk into the lobby of Abbington Distinctive Banquets in Glen Ellyn and encounter a floor-to-ceiling tornado made of balloons.

A rainbow of balloons will greet them as they enter the room. On the ceiling, a yellow brick road made of about 2,000 balloons will run around the room and lead up to the Emerald City, otherwise known as the stage.

WDSRA’s theme for its annual fundraiser is, of course, a takeoff on “The Wizard of Oz.” The man behind the decorations is Bill McCormack, owner of the American Balloon Company of Glen Ellyn and WDSRA’s 2010 Hall of Fame inductee.

“He’s done some really elaborate balloon decorations for us,” said Sherry Manschot, WDSRA’s marketing and PR manager. “They’re really quite stunning.”

McCormack, whose clients include everyone from the Chicago White Sox to numerous charities to family birthday parties, said if anyone had told him 13 years ago he would be where he is today, he would have said they were nuts.

“We just kind of stumbled into it and it’s grown,” he said.

A native of Hoffman Estates and resident of unincorporated Glen Ellyn, McCormack got his degree in construction management and worked as a mechanical contractor for 17 years. But he and his wife, Adrienne, wanted a business of their own. Franchises, they decided, were just another form of working for someone else.

Then the McCormacks met a guy putting Teddy bears in balloons at a trade show. Intrigued, they bought the necessary equipment and started working shows on weekends.

“Doing it part-time just wasn’t working,” McCormack said.

So he quit his job in 1997, opened a kiosk at Charlestowne Mall in St. Charles and then bought the assets of a store that sold Beanie Babies. For the first couple years while the balloon business got, well, up in the air, Beanie Babies provided the cash flow.

“It’s just been snowballing ever since,” McCormack said.

Balloon Buddies, as the business first was called, changed its name after McCormack bought out the American Balloon Company. His store is now at 485 Main St. in downtown Glen Ellyn.

“I’ve had a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s rewarding.”

Clients big and small

McCormack currently works with one full-time employee and three part-timers, but he pulls in other help as needed or contracts out to other balloon companies for events he can’t handle himself.

He has many corporate clients and has festooned trade shows at McCormick Place and the Rosemont Convention Center with balloons. But when a mother calls wanting one large balloon in the shape of the numeral 5 for a birthday party, McCormack runs it out to her when she comes by so she won’t have to take her little one out of the car.

“There’s nothing too big, nothing too small,” he said.

The work entails a lot of running around. His busiest week is between Christmas and New Year’s. This past New Year’s Eve, he had 17 balloon drops in the Chicago area, from as far north to Skokie to as far west as St. Charles. He rents a 16-foot box truck to make the deliveries when his van (which holds 300 balloons) won’t do.

Spring brings a busy season for providing balloons for charity walks. McCormack said he normally gives a 25 percent discount to charities, but WDSRA holds a special place in his heart. He donates much of his work to the group and has for 13 years.

The annual auction raises funds for the recreation programs WDSRA runs for children and adults with disabilities and provides scholarships for those who otherwise might not be able to participate.

“They are my favorite charity,” McCormack said. “They appreciate what volunteers and the people who help them do, more so than any organization I’ve been involved with.”

McCormack said WDSRA always gives him latitude in which to work. One year when its fundraiser had an undersea theme, he created a balloon octopus with eight 15- to 20-foot arms. After the event, a guest asked for the creation and drove it home on top of his car.

“They’ve given me the opportunity to try new things and really stretch my imagination,” he said.

McCormack’s involvement with WDSRA doesn’t end with balloons. He and his daughter, Erin, jumped out of a plane for WDSRA’s sky-diving fundraiser last year. McCormack and his father also work casino nights that benefit the charity.

“It’s something the whole family gets involved in and it’s a lot of fun,” he said.

Ballon art & business

McCormack, a certified balloon artist, said he learned many of his balloon techniques by taking classes during the years the International Balloon Arts Convention was held at the Hyatt Regency in Rosemont. He entered competitions there a couple times, once building a spaceship and another time the American flag in a 20-by-20-foot space in 27 hours. He didn’t win awards, but the flag – built at the first convention after 9/11 – earned recognition in Balloon Images magazine.

“It’s a challenge, and it really tests your ability to do things right then,” he said.

McCormack doesn’t claim to be especially artistic, but he said a mechanical background helps in constructing the structures beneath the balloons when he makes sculptures.

“Once you learn how to put different size balloons together, or the same size balloons … in a particular order, you can create most anything,” he said.

McCormack enjoys the looks on people’s faces when they see his creations. He’s especially pleased when someone who doesn’t know what he’s building recognizes what it is right away.

“Most people still think a balloon is on the end of a string. The things you can do with them is truly amazing,” he said.

For event decorations, McCormack favors latex balloons made by Qualatex because they are thicker and last longer. But once a balloon bursts, there’s little danger of it harming the environment, he said.

“Latex balloons degrade just as fast as an oak leaf,” he said.

What McCormack does warn against is young people buying helium balloons to suck the helium so they can talk funny.

“What it does is deprive the brain of oxygen,” he said.

If there’s a frustration to selling balloons, McCormack said, it’s the last minute of his work. For a big event, he’ll start blowing up balloons with an air compressor the day before, but he can’t do it sooner than that.

“You get into a real time crunch,” he said. “I’m a stickler for being on time. I hate showing up to a job late.”

McCormack’s commitment to his clients, no doubt, accounts for his business taking off. He recalled that a mechanical contractor once told him that his goal was to make and keep customers. If he did that, the money would follow, the contractor said.

McCormack decided to adopt that business philosophy as his own.

“Most of our business comes from word-of-mouth and repeat business,” he said. “If the customer is happy, they’ll come back.”

For more information on McCormack’s company, contact americanballooncompany.com or (630) 469-2747.

• Do you know someone with an unusual job or hobby? Let us know at sdibble@dailyherald.com, (630) 955-3532 or 4300 Commerce Court, Lisle, 60532.

If you go

What: “There’s No Place Like WDSRA” charity dinner and auction

When: 6 p.m. Saturday, March 6

Where: Abbington Distinctive Banquets, 3S002 Route 53, Glen Ellyn

Tickets: $85

Details: wdsra.com or (630) 681-0962

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

Balloon business took off for former mechanical contractor | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

When Brittany Walano heard Mario Tricoci would be cutting hair at his Orland Park salon, she did what any normal 20-year-old would do.

“Oh, I bought a new outfit,” she said. “He’s my idol. I want to be just like him.”

Walano is a style assistant at Mario Tricoci’s Hair Salon and Day Spa in Orland Park. While washing a client’s hair, she kept her eyes glued to the famed beautician as he cut, blow-dried and styled other clients.

Tricoci stopped by the salon to cut hair to raise money for victims of the Haiti earthquake. Since Feb. 10, he’s made visits to four of his salons to raise funds.

The $200 cut includes a shampoo, conditioner and a blow-dry style. The proceeds will go to Julie’s Holy Family Village in Thomazeau and Julie’s Holy Family Fishing Village in Mouillage Fouquet, Haiti. Tricoci said it costs about $2,800 to build one home, and he hopes to raise about $50,000, to build 19 homes.

“I wanted to do something that would be tangible,” Tricoci said.

He credits his wife, Cheryl, for coming up with the idea.

“My wife said, ‘Do what you do best, ‘ ” he said. “I did something similar to this for (the victims of) Hurricane Katrina. It’s something we’re doing to give back.”

While the minimum donation is $200, Tricoci said one client donated $1,000.

As Tricoci worked diligently, his focus merited an audience among the other employees.

“It’s very inspiring,” hair stylist Sarah Koseck said. “You want to see what he does and see if you can pick up anything.”

Frankfort resident Donna Jasutis frequents the salon and decided to book an appointment for her 17-year-old daughter Jessica. Jasutis said Jessica had five different hair colors in the past two years and every salon she took her to wasn’t helpful.

“I figured if anyone could help her, Mr. Tricoci could,” she said. “I mean, it’s a lot of money, but since 100 percent of the proceeds are going to Haiti, I like that.”

Tricoci said the cut he gave Jessica was the “new shag.” In the 1970s, women had shaggy hair cuts that were a little messy. Now, its still shaggy but more organized.

Although Tricoci loves to cut and style hair, he only does it sparingly, he said.

Working mother of two, Madonna Golden, 42, said she felt “wonderful” once Tricoci was finished cutting her hair.

“This is the first time I’ve ever been to Mario’s,” she said. “I’ve got two kids. I needed to do something for myself.”

Tricoci styles help Haiti earthquake victims | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Michael J. Madigan wasn’t calling to talk about state issues. Instead, Madigan was drumming up legal business for his property tax appeal firm.

“When Mike Madigan calls and asks for a meeting, you meet with him,” Rossi said in an interview with the Tribune.

Madigan and his law partner met with Rossi in September 2008. Together they went one by one through the portfolio of buildings Rossi represents until he referred them to a downtown high-rise he manages that might need a tax attorney.

“Nobody wants to piss off the speaker of the House,” Rossi said. “I mean, I was born and raised in this town.”

The firm got the contract. It was another success for Madigan, the rainmaker.

Madigan & Getzendanner has become a go-to firm in Chicago’s lucrative field of commercial property tax appeals.

In 2008 it represented 45 of the 150 most valuable downtown buildings, based on values set by the last complete city reassessment in 2006, according to public records. That’s more than twice what the closest rival represented.

The high-stakes competition to handle tax work for buildings worth hundreds of millions of dollars plays out quietly among a small group of local law firms. Many are armed with deep political connections — including Ald. Ed Burke, former Clinton adviser Kevin O’Keefe and former county Assessor Thomas Tully.

Only one has Michael Madigan.

House speaker for a quarter-century and chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party since 1998, Madigan’s influence stretches beyond the Statehouse to the corridors of City Hall and the Cook County Building. His political power even touches the levers of government that affect the success of his private law firm.

Ald. Brendan Reilly, who got his start in Illinois politics with a six-year stint in the speaker’s office, holds tremendous control over development decisions in his Loop ward where Madigan competes for new clients.

Joseph Berrios, a longtime Madigan ally, sits in judgment over property tax appeals filed by Madigan’s firm and others as the senior member of the county Board of Review.

At the same time, Berrios’ business as a state lobbyist depends on his success in the Statehouse dominated by Madigan.

Now Madigan is putting his political weight behind Berrios’ bid to replace a political nemesis — retiring Cook County Assessor James Houlihan, whose office affects Madigan’s clients by setting the taxable value for all county real estate.

Madigan declined to be interviewed about what role political connections might play in the tax appeal business. He said in a written statement that most of the firm’s new business comes from referrals by other clients or competitive bidding.

Asked about the meeting with Rossi, Madigan said he had no knowledge that Rossi played a role in the firm getting tax work. In looking for business leads, Madigan wrote, the firm keeps an eye on City Council zoning decisions.

In Chicago, aldermen have near-total control over zoning decisions in their wards. Asked whether Madigan talks with his former aide Reilly about potential clients, Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said Madigan “talks to a range of people” who know developers.

“And aldermen could be part of that group,” Brown said.

Reilly, alderman for the 42nd Ward since 2007, said he and Madigan still talk about politics, but not about zoning matters.

The client list for Madigan & Getzendanner includes some of the most prestigious skyscrapers in Chicago’s famous skyline — from the John Hancock Center on Michigan Avenue to the Prudential Plaza towers across from Millennium Park.

In 2006, the last reassessment year in which full statistics are available, Madigan’s firm won enough appeals to cut more than $183 million from the taxable value of the top high-rises it represented, the Tribune examination shows.

Most of that success was at the Board of Review, where Madigan ally Berrios is one of three elected members. The panel was established as a separate avenue of appeal to contest the assessor’s decisions.

The assessed value for top properties represented by Madigan & Getzendanner clients in the 2006 tax year was cut by more than 11.5 percent at the Board of Review, among the best results of the city’s major law firms.

At the assessor’s office, the assessed value for those same properties was reduced by less than 1 percent — the worst result compared with those same major law firms, the records show.

Read the original article from Tribune News Services.

High stakes in high-rise taxes | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

BridgePortfolio® — a leading industry provider of flexible, customized, private-labeled RIA platforms and back office support for investment advisors, investment managers, broker-dealers, field marketing organizations, financial planners and trust companies — is proud to announce that they were awarded the 2009 Service Excellence Award by USA Tax and Insurance Services, Inc. at their annual awards ceremony last month.

BridgePortfolio provides the back office support for the fee-based platform used by EliteRIA Group, a SEC-registered investment advisory firm Dba American Investment Services that is a subsidiary of USA Tax and Insurance Services, Inc. BridgePortfolio managed the set-up and provides the ongoing maintenance and support of this fee-based platform, which includes a private-label Web site, a dashboard, an account opening tool, daily reconciliation, trading, billing and performance reporting.

Scott Chakan, Chief Operating Officer at USA Tax said they gave this award to BridgePortfolio in recognition of all their outstanding efforts in helping USA Tax with this RIA platform for all their financial advisors.

Mr. Chakan remarked that “this platform enabled USA Tax to add investment advisory services to our current life insurance and annuities products for our clients.”

He also stated that “by outsourcing all our RIA back office support functions to BridgePortfolio, we were able to get into the investment advisory business faster than we could on our own and insure that we complied with all SEC regulations.”

Chad Meyer, Chief Executive Officer at BridgePortfolio, said he was honored to receive this award and felt it “validated our business model by allowing us to leverage our operational expertise in the RIA industry to build and support a fee-based platform” for USA Tax.

According to Chad, “USA Tax provided us with an opportunity to enter into the Field Marketing Organization (FMO) industry which is looking to expand beyond insurance. We enjoyed working with the entire USA Tax organization to build their RIA business from the ground up and believe USA Tax’s EliteRIA Group will be a force in the RIA industry for years to come.”

About USA Tax and Insurance Services, Inc.

USA Tax and Insurance Services, Inc. is a leading Field Marketing Organization (FMO) in the U.S. insurance industry. The company is headquartered in Palm Harbor, FL and has almost 200 licensed representatives. Their primary business is life insurance and annuities.

In 2008, they formed a subsidiary company called Elite Advisors Group — a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registered investment advisory (“RIA”) firm. Currently, they have about 70 investment advisor representatives who can offer fee-based investment advisory services to their clients.

USA Tax and Insurance Services, Inc., through its RIA subsidiary Elite Advisors Group, currently has approximately 600 investor clients with an aggregate $50 million of assets under management that they manage on a discretionary basis.

For more information, please visit usataxadvisorsinc.com.

About BridgePortfolio®

BridgePortfolio is a leader in developing flexible, customized, private-labeled asset management platforms for investment advisors, investment managers, broker-dealers, field marketing organizations, financial planners, banks and trust companies. Their mission is to help these companies to profitably deliver investment advisory services, including ETF and mutual fund wrap model portfolios, and SMA and UMA programs.

Founded in 2000, the company has approximately 65 customers (called partners) across the United States with almost $2 billion in assets under administration.

BridgePortfolio has developed a diverse menu of services that can be outsourced, including private label website development and hosting; a dashboard; efficient online account setup; account administration; performance reporting; model portfolio trading; billing; third-party separate account management and private label separate account platform creation and maintenance.

For more information, please visit bridgeportfolio.com.

BridgePortfolio Earns Excellence Award | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) today hosted an awards ceremony to celebrate the efforts of individuals and organizations providing the best services to assist older adults.

The special awards ceremony is held each year during the Governor’s Conference on Aging where advocates and experts from across the state gather to focus on issues that affect the aging population.  This year’s conference was December 9 – 11 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown.

“This annual conference provides a wonderful opportunity to remind ourselves that by working together we can improve the quality of life for the older adults we serve,” said IDoA Director Charles D. Johnson.

“I’m pleased to honor these individuals and organizations that go that extra mile to address the needs of seniors.”

During the special awards luncheon, several awards were presented by professional associations to individuals and organizations in the Aging Network whose contributions and accomplishments merit recognition.

A list of the 2009 presenters and awardees follows:

Jane Angelis, Ph.D., Director, Intergenerational Initiative, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale is the winner of this year’s Governor’s Award for Excellence.

Dr. Angelis works diligently tap the skills of older adults and retirees for interesting and creative projects, including working with the Illinois Policy Academy on the Civic Engagement of Older Adults.  Her work promotes the mindset that we are best when older and younger generations address problems together.

IDoA Director Charles D. Johnson presented the Senior Hall of Fame Award to Jo Ann Dinello, of Darien, as the winner in the Community Service Category.

She set up the Medical Lending Closet, at the Darien Police Station, for people to get free donated medical equipment.  She also founded the We Care Program, in 2003; to date more than 1,000 packages have been sent to soldiers serving in the Middle East.

The Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly (CLESE) presented the Pillar of Service Award to Santosh Kumar, Founder and Executive Director of Metropolitan Asian Family Services, a non-profit agency working for the well-being of the Indian community, in Chicago.

Kumar is recognized for versatility and efforts to wipe out social injustice.  She defines her dedication to services to the elderly as her passion, not just a profession.

The Illinois Association of Area Agencies on Aging presented the Sid Granet Aging Network Achievement Award for Individual Excellence to Janet B. Ellis, Retired Executive Director, of Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on Aging, in Rockford.  Ellis began her tenure at the Agency in 1972, and has been a persistent and effective advocate for older adults and family caregivers.  She was awarded for her lifetime achievement.

The Illinois Adult Day Service Association presented the following awards:

• The Everything Under the Sun Award to Family Alliance, Inc., in Woodstock.  Family Alliance has served as the only adult day health and recovery service in McHenry County for the last 27 years.  Programs include door-to-door transportation, recovery services, in-house counseling, caregiver support groups, case management and community education.
• The Sunlight Award to Cathy Davit, Executive Director, ESSE Adult Day Centers, in Wheaton.  Davit has been Executive Director of the three ESSE adult day centers for the last 14 years. She provides trainings for her staff and fosters interaction with caseworkers and other referral sources by inviting them to promote optimal services. Davit also works as a nurse in an assisted living facility.

The Association of Illinois Senior Centers presented the following awards to:

• The Director of the Year to Paula Eaton.  Eaton has been Director of the Wayne Township Senior Center, in West Chicago, for eight years.  Eaton tailors a quality program with a staff of only two people.  Her nominator describes her as a “tireless force.”
• Award for Brochures to Hanover Township.
• Award for Marketing and Website Design to Wayne Township Senior Center.
• Award for Newsletter to Palatine Township Senior Citizens Council for “The Happenings.”
• Award for Program of the Year to the Glenview Senior Center, in Northfield.

Illinois Association of Nutrition Providers presented the Joyce Still Memorial Award to Bob Smith, of the Illinois Valley Economic Development Corporation.

Smith began working at the Corporation in 1976 and later became project director of its nutrition and transportation program.

He was very active with House Bill 527, which addresses rural home delivered meals. Smith is very dedicated to the older adults he serves.

AARP presented the following awards to:

• The AARP Andrus Award to J Fazel for working to provide sustenance and support to the homeless, seniors and the unemployed in and around Elgin.  On average, he logs over 1,000 miles a month picking up food from local businesses each week and distributing it to churches and local agencies that provide hot meals for populations in need.  Fazel also works at Public Action to Deliver Shelter running a kitchen to serve the needy.
• The AARP Inspire Award to Aida L. Maisonet Giachello, Ph.D, for her expertise, research and success in reducing health disparities.  Giachello is an Associate Professor and Director of the UIC Midwest Latino Health Research, Training and Policy Center, where she has been conducts research on health disparities, trains new Latino/minority investigators and engages in policy work emerging from research findings.
• The AARP Legislator of the Year Award to the Honorable Greg Harris, State Representative of the 13th Illinois Legislative District.  Since his election to the General Assembly in 2006, Representative Harris has been a tireless advocate for programs that serve seniors.  He has taken on fights that many legislators are hesitant to stand up against, including oversight of nursing homes and sponsoring House Bill 3923, which makes the insurance industry more accessible and apparent to the public.

The Illinois Council of Case Coordination Units presented the Case Manager of the Year to Amanda Groaning, of Shawnee Alliance for Seniors.

She was chosen to be a team leader for CCC Quality Improvement and Best Practice skills has embraced the concepts of comprehensive care coordination for clients.  Groaning is compassionate and patient, and utilizes all programs and resources to meet the needs of her clients.

The Illinois Association of Community Care Program Homecare Providers presented the Supervisor of the Year to both Alice Stenander and Conni L. Williams.

Alice Stenander, of Western Illinois Managed Home Services in Monmouth, has been responsible for the daily oversight of staff for 15 years. She does this with concern and compassion for staff and the clients they serve. Currently she’s responsible for 285 clients and 71 employees working in various programs.

Conni L. Williams is a good leader for her home care aides.  She is approachable and does not ask staff to do anything she would not do herself.  She works with staff to resolve difficult situations with their clients.

She supervises 45 home care aids with 135 clients and has been a supervisor for three years.

The winner of the D. Jeanne Tippett Scholarship is Jessica M. Petty, of the Henry County Health Department, in Kewanee.  A home care aide for two years, Petty is pursuing a degree in nursing from Black Hawk College East in Kewanee.  She plans to work in a hospital, upon graduating.

State Recognizes Advocates for Outstanding Service to Older Adults | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.