Activities/Hobbies: Cooking, baking, boating, hiking, gardening, volunteering, mothering, golfing, laughing, hugging, smiling (smiling's my favorite!) repeat!

Restaurants: I love exploring new restaurants but tell me you want a home-cooked meal and I'm yours.  I enjoy trying new recipes.  I get so much inspiration from the recipes featured here in STROLL Park Ridge.  Some have even become family favorites.  

Vacation destination: Italy, Bimini and my number one destination - Williams Bay, Lake Geneva. 

Sports teams: I truly am a Chicago sports fan.  The Cubbies have been a long-time favorite. I'm a sucker for the underdog, and Wrigley Field is one of my happy places because I can slow down life for a while.  I'm also a fan of whatever team we here at STROLL Park Ridge sponsor every summer in Park Ridge.  

TV show/Movie: Never been much of a TV watcher.  The only TV series I have ever watched completely is all episodes of The Brady Bunch.  I practically know every single line in every episode.  Sad, but true!  LOL  I do love going to the movies at the Pickwick.  

Music: Anything LIVE!  Buddy Guy at Legends, anyone playing at Ravinia, Miranda Lambert, Lady Gaga, classical, jazz, Tony Bennet, The Boss, too many to list!

Family dinner: My kids love my fried chicken, collard greens, and mac & cheese.  We don't eat like this very often.  When my children were little, we loved a good hot casserole (I have a recipe they used to love called Dorito Chicken.  It's made with you guessed it -Chicken and Doritos!) Now I love a huge salad every day with fresh wild-caught salmon or chicken with chickpeas drizzled with good olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon.  

How many children do you have and what are their ages? I have 5 amazing, hard-working, fun young adult children. Jimmy (27) works as a trader on the Asian markets; Shelley Rose (24) is a publisher (like her mom--YES!) for a STROLL publication in Arlington Heights; Rachel (23) is a teacher at St. Andrews in Lake View (She is living her dreams); Caitlin (20), a former Maine South Senior Class President, will be a Junior at Miami of Ohio majoring in Business; and my caboose, Molly (18) just graduated from Maine South. She will be heading to DePaul University in the Fall majoring in Journalism/Business.  Go Blue Demons!

What college/university did you attend? I graduated from Wilbur Wright College with an AA degree then went on to Northern Illinois University majoring in Journalism - Broadcast News.

Where are you originally from? I was born and raised on the northwest side of Chicago.  6200 block on W. Roscoe.  When I was a kid, people didn't ask us what street we lived on.  It was always "What parish are you from?"

What do you like to do to relax? I am not one for just lying around.  I love to garden, make a meal for my family, play golf or 500 Rummy with my Mom or kids.  

What are some of your favorite local charities and why?  I am in leadership at WINGS (The mission of WINGS Program, Inc. is to provide housing, integrated services, education and advocacy to end domestic violence). I can't pick a favorite but I do tend to favor charities that advocate and support children.  

What did you do before starting STROLL Park Ridge? I was a News Anchor at CLTV News (WGN's sister station) and before that a news anchor/reporter at WTVO in Rockford, NCTV 17 in Naperville, and WCIU in Chicago.  

Why did you bring STROLL Park Ridge to our community? I think STROLL is an extension of who I am and the kind of citizen I strive to be.  I love meeting new people, helping people.  I enjoy making people feel welcome and giving them a reason to feel s sense of belonging.  I cherish my lifelong friends, I love to be of service to my friends and community, I enjoy planning fun family events, and making kids happy.  

What is your favorite part about working for STROLL Park Ridge? My favorite part is planning the events.  I always plan events with FUN for the family in mind.  If we aren't having fun then it's not worth doing.  If we are making people happy, and helping them feel a connection to their community then our job is complete.  

1.  I am the 11th of 14 kids.  

2.  I act in commercials and TV shows in my spare time. 

3.  Cookies are my weakness.  Some might say superpower.  

4.  I am passionate about child advocacy and ending human trafficking.   

5.  I am not fond of being an empty nester!