Amy McCormack, a resident of Oak Park, has been promoted to the position of senior vice president for administration at Dominican University. McCormack has served as vice president for business affairs for 11 years and has been with Dominican since 1991.
Columbia College grads
Many Oak Parkers graduated from Columbia College Chicago on May 14: Reena R. Baxter, Lynette R. Bickerstaff, Suzanne E. Crombie, Brittney R. Jones, Khamelah R. Jones, Daniel J. Kibblesmith, Christopher Kulawik, Caitlin Renee Lavin, Michael J. Lesniak, Bridget Erin Letchos, Jerry R. Napier, Michael Pogue, Matthew T. Quilter, Daniel Wayne Royle, Amy Allison Sweetin, William B. White, Latoya M. Williams, Benjamin Wygonik, Chitawan Yingprasert, and LaRaie M. Zimm.
De Vinck joins OWP&P
Brian De Vinck of Oak Park has joined O’Donnell Wicklund Pigozzi & Peterson, Inc. as a Senior Project Manager in the firm’s Corporate/Commercial market. OWP&P, a national design firm of 310 architects, engineers, and planners, serves corporate/commercial, health care, and education clients.
Local Dominican grads
Conan Jurkowski, Hsiang-Ling Chen, Rocco Chierici, Dustin Murguia, Jonathan Tremper and James O’Malley, all residents of Oak Park, graduated this May from Dominican University. Jurkowski received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Chen received a bachelor’s degree in international business. Chierici received a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership. Murguia received a bachelor’s degree in social science. Tremper received a bachelor’s degree in economics. O’Malley received a bachelor’s degree in history. Patrick Collins, Morgan Digre, Madeleine Maciag and Anna Valiavska, all residents of River Forest, also graduated in May from Dominican. Collins received a bachelor’s degree in political science. Digre received a bachelor’s degree in English. Maciag received a bachelor’s degree in international business. Valiavska received a bachelor’s degree in international relations and diplomacy.
Excellence in teaching, leadership
Dr. Michael Kasprowicz of Oak Park, a 1981 Fenwick graduate who is now a social science instructor at Morton College, was honored at the 28th annual National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence last month in Austin, Texas, where he received the organization’s Excellence Award.
Lippitt wins the Hanson
The League of Women Voters of Oak Park & River Forest presented Elizabeth Lippitt with the League’s highest honor, the Hazel Hanson Award, following the May 18 Annual Meeting at the Oak Park Conservatory, for promoting the goals of the League and positively affecting the community.
Jenks on British propaganda
Dominican University Assistant Professor John Jenks, an Oak Park resident, has published a book detailing how the British state generated, suppressed and manipulated news to further foreign policy goals during the early Cold War. British Propaganda and News Media in the Cold War has been published in the United Kingdom by Edinburgh Press. Columbia University Press will publish it in the United States in August.
William J. Martin, an Oak Park resident, has been selected by Fenwick High School to receive the 2006 Accipiter Award for Meritorious Service to the legal profession. Martin is a full partner in the law firm of Martin, Breen, and Merrick in Oak Park. Martin gained much notoriety from the sensational murder trial of Richard Speck in 1966. Martin successfully prosecuted Speck for the slaying of eight Chicago nurses and sent him to prison for life. Later, Martin wrote the critically acclaimed account in his book entitled Crime of the Century: Richard Speck and the Murder of Eight Nurses.
The Oak Park Area Arts Council has announced the 2006 Fine Arts Scholarship recipients. The winning students, all from Oak Park and River Forest High School, are Christopher Barlow – Fordham University at Lincoln Center (Theatre), Hillary Esqueda – New York University (Classical Voice Performance), Cecilia Fleming – Vanderbilt University (Piano Performance & Biochemistry/Chemistry), Julia Haptonstahl – Northern Illinois University (Dance), Andrew Jamieson – Northwestern University School of Music (Composition), Kathryn Risher – Dartmouth College (Flute Performance & Biology), Lauren Valsoano – Carthage College (Graphic Design & Communications), and Chris Weller – Berklee College of Music (Jazz Performance & Music Education).
Sherlynn Reid has been named the new president of the Nineteenth Century Club of Oak Park.
Nora Schlesinger, of Oak Park, recently received a Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College, graduating with General Honors and Departmental Honors.
Gastroenterologists Stephen Deutsch and Rama Venu of West Suburban Medical Center were among the first group of doctors inducted into the American Gastroenterological Association as fellows.
Steven W. Jasinski has joined Community Bank Oak Park River Forest as a vice president in their commercial banking division. He had been a vice president in commercial banking at First Midwest Bank in Des Plaines, IL.
Oak Parker Cheryl Silver will play Cinderella’s stepmother in a Jedlicka Performing Arts Center production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Silver tends to her two young sons, who are two and five, during the day, but turns into a professional actress by night. She will be performing from August 4 to 19 at 3801 S. Central in Cicero.
Ruth McLaren, senior vice president of Community Bank Oak Park River Forest, is the new President of The Rotary Club of Oak Park-River Forest. McLaren joined the Rotary Club in 1987, and has been a member of the Rotary Club Board for nine years.
Local stained glass artist Peter Morava, owner of Morava Studios in Oak Park, was elected to the Executive Board of the Stained Glass Association of America at their 97th annual conference. He is currently serving on the Conservation and Preservation Committee.
Oak-Leyden Developmental Services held a program-wide talent show featuring people in its Developmental Training Program. The program provides training in activities of daily living, social and leisure activities, communication skills, and vocational skill development for adults with developmental disabilities.
Ava Claire Tomaso was born on July 7, 2006 at Hinsdale Hospital. She weighed 6 lbs. and 10 oz. and was 19.5 inches long. Her proud parents are Jon and Amy Tomaso of River Forest. She has two older brothers, Michael, five, and Ryan, three. Her grandmothers are Mary Hart of Riverside and LaVerne Tomaso of Oak Park.
