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At Home with Merle Burleigh – March 26, 2025

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At Home with Merle

MERLE’S CORNER

The Consolidated Election is Tuesday, April 1, 2025; and is for elected officials of cities, libraries, parks, schools and townships. Polling locations are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Registered voters can vote  at any polling place in DuPage County on election day. Other than for the officials of Winfield and Wayne Townships, all the other candidate races are non-partisan.This election is important as the elected officials are the ones who make the decisions that affect the daily lives of residents. They make local policies, set budgets , oversee public service and shelf port the future of the communities.

Early voting takes place through Monday, March 31; locations near West Chicago are West Chicago Voting Center , 157 W. Washington St.;and DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 Manchester Road, Building 5 in Wheaton. Hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The League of Women Voters of Wheaton hosted a candidate’s forum for West Chicago Public Library Board of Trustees and for West Chicago Mayor and City Council. Tuesday, March 18. The forum was recorded and can be seen at https://my.lwv.org/illinois/wheaton/calendar/meet-greet.  West Chicago Community High School students held the candidates Forum Tuesday, March 11; the format was similar to the LWVW format. The recording can be found on the League’s website and the school website, www.d94.org. https://merleburl.com

AROUND AND ABOUT

  • Healthy West Chicago and West Chicago Public Library host a cooking demonstration, “Making Recipes Work for You: Mediterranean Dips,” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, 2025. In the main meeting room 118 W. Washington Chef Maria demonstrates how to make these health and nutritious dips. To register, visit https://wcpld.librarycalendar.com/events/month. For further information, email Natalia Serrano at  Natalia@healthywestchicago.org.
  • West Chicago Garden Club meets Thursday, March 27, 2025, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 155 N. Prince Crossing Road. Social time is at 6:45 p.m., short business meeting at 7 p.m. and program at 7:15 p.m. Presenting the program, “150 Ways to Create a Fantastic Yard Tailored by You,” is Amanda Thomsen.

Thomsen is a horticulturist, garden designer, keynote speaker, freelance writer, backyard consultant, and author living in suburban Chicago. “She has been working as a professional horticulturist, landscape designer and project manager for the last 20 plus years. Her focus is bringing rule-breaking fun, a little kitsch and a lot of humor into an industry that is often thought of as stodgy and full of rules. She speaks and gives classes at all-sized events throughout the United States.” She also is the owner of Aster Gardens, a small plant and garden shop in Lemont. https://merleburl.com

  • The West Chicago City Museum joins the West Chicago PublicLibrary for a celebration of the 1920s for National Library Week. An exhibit about life in West Chicago in the 1920s is on display in the Adult Services Department from Tuesday, April 1, through Saturday, April 19, 2025. The library is located at 118 W. Washington St. Library hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
  • The West Chicago Public Library hosts a Seed Packing volunteer event at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in the Main Meeting room., 118 W. Washington St. Attendees help label and pack seed envelopes and organize stock for the library’s Seed library. To make a reservation, visit https://wcpld.librarycalendar.com/events/month.
  • During the month of April, “Spring Awakening,” is the exhibit at Gallery 200, 103 W. Washington St. The display highlights the artwork by the members of the Wayne Art League. The artists’s reception is from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 4, 2025.

Wayne Art League meets weekly on Mondays to work on individual projects or the provided still life set up in the center of the meeting area. Its meetings take place at Little Home Church by the Wayside, 32W120 Army Trail Road. The League welcomes artists of varying skill levels working in all types of mediums and encourages camaraderie, encouragement, and support. https://merleburl.com

  • To celebrate and kick-off National Library Week and the 100th anniversary of the Great Gatsby, the West Chicago Public Library hosts an afternoon tea with a Gatsy flare from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6, 2025, in the meeting room, 118 W. Washington St. It is geared for youths ages 8 and up, teens and adults.. To make it a fun and memorable time, there are several different activities .Making a bookmark using the library’s sublimation printer, is the special craft project. Costumes are encouraged, think flapper dresses, straw hats for men-the casual look. A small photo area is available for patrons to take pictures.
  • Per Wikipedia, “The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with Jay Gatsby, the mysterious millionaire with an obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan.” National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting t he valuable role libraries, librarians and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthen communities. https://merleburl.com
  • West Chicago Park District holds Member Appreciation Week from Monday, April 7, through Sunday, March 13, 2025. Included during this time are free healthy snacks, daily prize drawings and free fitness classes Monday through Thursday at the ARC Center, 201 W. National St. A Fitness Open House is from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 10. It includes free facility access. Hourly fitness challenges with prizes, free three-month membership drawing, free fitness classes and fitness orientations. For further information call 630 2319474 or email info@we-goparks.org. https://merleburl.com
  • The West Chicago Public Library program, “Zelda Fitzgerald This Side of Paradise…Her Story,” is a 7 p.m.Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in the main meeting room, 118 W. Washington St. To make a reservation, visit https://wcpld.librarycalendar.com/events/month. Relating the story of Zelda is Lynn Rymarz, owner of Tales in History. Dressed in vintage attire, she makes history come alive as she portrays her character and shares some little known history. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald had it all. They lived the American dream. He, the famous author of such novels as “The Great Gatsby” and “This Side of Paradise, ”and she, a beautiful southern belle. Attendees learn about how they rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous and the part she played in his fiction. She was called “the First Flapper” because of her passion for dancing. Zelda became an accomplished writer and painter. Then their world began to crumple and fell apart. https://merleburl.com
  • “West Chicago Roaring Through the 1920s” is the West Chicago Public Library program at noon Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in the main meeting room, 118 W. Washington St. Presenting the program is Sara Phalen, West Chicago City Museum director/curator. To make a reservation, visit https://wcpld.librarycalendar.com/events/month. The Roaring 20s that saw prosperity spread throughout the United States was no different here in West Chicago. During the 1920s West Chicago’s population grew by 30 percent, ending the decade with 3,477 residents. Industry grew including an expansion of boxcar camps that brought first Mexican immigrants to town; a major street improvement program added nine miles of concrete streets; four new schools were built, including a new high school and the first parochial school at St. Mary’s Catholic parish. The decade ended with development for what would become the DuPage County Airport and the industrial development to the west of town. https://merleburl.com
  • West Chicago Park District hosts Doggie Egg Hunt at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 12, 2025, at South Paw Dog Park, west of Reed-Keppler Park, 129 W. National St. The charge per dog is $8 for residents; $10 for non-residents.Registration deadline is Friday, April 4; to register visit we-goparks.org/special-events.Hidden treat-filled eggs are scattered through the park. There are some prizes, games and activities for both dogs and owners. https://merleburl.com
  • West Chicago City Museum presents the Historiography program, a non-fiction book reading group, at 1 p.m.Thursday, April 17, 2025, in the Museum, 132 Main St. The book is “Spies, Soldiers, Couriers, & Saboteurs: Women of the American Revolution” by K.M. Waldvogel. To get a copy of the book or for further information, visit Friends of West Chicago City Museum website, com or call 630 231-3376. It is not necessary to read the book to attend.

Per Goodread, “The Revolutionary War has divided the country. Neighbor has turned against neighbor. Family members argue with family members. Angry rumblings of "no taxation without representation" are prevalent. During this time, ordinary women stepped out of the safety of their homes and risked their lives in America's fight for independence. Some women spied on the British, some fought in battles. Others took different roles, but each woman stood up for what she believed.”

Waldvogel is a member of the Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators, Wisconsin Writers Association  and local writing groups in Wisconsin and Arizona. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education and a Master of Science degree in education. She taught fifth grade for four years and eighth grade language arts for ten years. https://merleburl.com

  • West Chicago Park District hosts a Mayslake Peabody Estate Tour Thursday, April 24, 2025. Scheduled hours are 9:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The charge is $20, which includes tour and transportation. Attendees purchase lunch at a local restaurant. Registration deadline is Tuesday, April 1. To make a registration, visit https://www.we-goparks.org/adult-programs. The estate has stairs, no elevators. Mayslake Hall was built between 1919 and 1921 as the retirement home for Francis Stuyvesant Peabody, one of the nation’s largest coal producers. Today, Mayslake Hall, with its rural setting and formality, stands as a rare reminder of the magnificent country houses that once graced the landscape of DuPage County. https://merleburl.com
  • West Chicago Park District hosts its Disc Golf Tournament from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Kress Creek Farms, 30W150 Wilson Road. For a team of two, the charge is $40 for residents, $45 for non-residents, which includes two Frisbee discs for participants to use and take home. To register, visit https://www.we-goparks.org/athletics. Registration ends Sunday, April 13. Game play is nine holes, shotgun start, and best disc.

SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES

  • Kamila’s Cakes, 151 W. Washington St., had special training to learn about offering new products and improving its service. Training is completed and now in additions to its cakes, the business offers lattes and cappuccinos, plus doughnuts and waffles. Hours are 9 a.m.to 6 p.m. Telephone number is 630 256-1742. https://merleburl.com
  • Wing Snob, 200 W. North Ave.,held its Ribbon Cutting Friday, March 21, and its Grand Opening for the public on Saturday, March 22, 2025. The majority of the comments on Facebook were positive. One person said, “I was there today. Definitely fresh not frozen wings. The sauce wasn't overwhelming. I thought it was great.” The owners are Ashish Taparia and Paresh Shukla. https://merleburl.com

REMEMBRANCES

  • Sincere sympathy is extended to the family of Susan Irene Owen, who at the age of 79 passed away Sunday, March 16, 2025.
  • Deepest sympathy is expressed to the family of Donna Marie Madsen, who at the age of 90 passed away Monday, March 17, 2025.

SCHOOLS

  • West Chicago Boosters Club hosts its annual Trivia Night fundraiser Saturday, April 12, 2025, at American Legion Post 76, 570 S. Gary Ave. in Carol Stream. The charge is $25 per person. Check in is at 6 p.m., game starts at 7 p.m. The theme is 80s trivia. Teams up to 10 are eligible, smaller teams may be combined. A team name is not required to register, but is required with payment. Pizza and dessert is included in the price. The evening includes Heads or Tails, Split the Pot, Best Dress team prize and raffle baskets. There is a cash bar. To make a reservation, visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11rh4kc-p8DYZGPbqs1PW8N5LauysxhoilcoXHraOI1s/viewform?pli=1&pli=1&edit_requested=true or the QR on a poster. For further information, email wegoboosters@gmail.com. https://merleburl.com
  • Will Dwyer, Principal at West Chicago Community High School, announced he is resigning at the end of this school year. He has accepted a position as principal to Deerfield High School Dwyer has been at WCCHS for six years. In the letter, he stated, “It has been the honor of my career to serve as your principal for the past six years. The support and love I have received from the entire WeGo community has been overwhelming during my time here. Even during the most difficult times when we navigated a pandemic and the even trickier return to learning, this community has been supportive, positive, and dynamic. While I am sad to be ending this chapter of my career I am incredibly grateful for the past six years and confident in the expertise of the amazing staff at WeGo. The work our educators do with our students every day is what makes WeGo magical, not who occupies the principal’s office.” https://merleburl.com
  • At its board meeting Tuesday, March 18, 2025, Community High School District 94 Board of Education unanimously approved #WeGo2030 Strategic Plan.This plan marks the district’s first strategic planning initiative in several years and sets a visionary course for the future of the Wildcat Community. The plan is built upon a strong foundation that includes the Portrait of a Graduate, Educator, and Systems, as well as the district’s mission, vision, and core values. This comprehensive plan was developed through a collaborative process involving students, educators, families, and community stakeholders over the past school year. A copy of the final #WeGo2030 Strategic Plan, along with a video highlighting the planning process, is available at d94.org/strategicplan.
  • Social Emotional Learning/Health teacher Krisann Castro and West Chicago Police Officer Patrick O’Neil recently provided an eight-week Life Skills Training Program to third and fifth grade students at Turner School. Throughout the program, students learned how to make good decisions, manage stress and peer pressure, express feelings in healthy ways, recognize the dangers of smoking and vaping, spot tricky advertising tactics and use assertive, strong but respectful, ways to say no. https://merleburl.com
  • Miranda Bucio, a senior at West Chicago Community High School, is the Student of the Month for February 2025. Her selection was due to her academic and extracurricular achievements.

She is a High Honor Roll student with a a 4.771Grade Point Average and serves as the President of the National Honor Society and Secretary of the Music Honors Society. Additionally, she his the recipient of several academic distinctions, including a Merit Award from NHS for having more than 30 hours of service, an Academic Achievement Award and the Wildcat Pride Award.

Her extracurricular activities, include choir, WeGo Drama, and national academic competitions such as LifeSmarts and the Personal Finance Challenge.Through NHS, she has been involved  in various volunteer efforts, such as Certified Emergency Response Team training program, where she assisted in practical training exercises, and the Adopt A Senior program at Monarch Landing. Outside of school, Miranda worked as a lifeguard, summer camp counselor and a customer service receptionist at the West Chicago Park District ARC Center.

Upon graduation, Bucio plans to attend a four-year college, majoring in Finance or Accounting with a minor in Advertising. Her involvement with music will continue, as she want to join a choir group. https://merleburl.com

CHURCHES

  • Andrew Lutheran Church, 155 N. Prince Crossing Road, hosts Everyday Hero from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 5, 2025. Participants learn CPR AED and Narcon Training. The class is in English and Spanish. The free training includes basic life support skills, practice hands-only CPR, how to use an automated defibrillator, and Narcan and overdose education. To make a reservation call Pastor Alex Molina at 847 912-2029 or email pastoralex@st.andrewlutheranlutheran.net.

COMMUNITY MEMBERS HIGHLIGHTS

  • West Chicago resident Louise Handel, a member of Voices of Hope Community Chorus, performs in the concert,“I’ll Fly Away: Music that Will Transport Your Spirit!” There are two performances. One takes place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Glenview Community Church, 1000 Elm St. The other is at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 6, at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 460 Lake St. in Oak Park. Ticket prices are $25 for adults, $20 for survivors and students 17 and under, and $22 per person for groups of 10 or more. To order tickets, visit https://www.ticketleap.events/.../voices-of-hope... Music ranges from country and gospel to Broadway and contemporary pop, featuring some of the finest choral writers and arrangers.The Voices of Hope Community Chorus is a musical community for breast cancer survivorship and those who've been affected by by breast cancer. https://merleburl.com

CLUB/ORGANIZATION NEWS

  • Gallery 200, 103 W. Washington St., offers 2025 Spring art classes. To view the classes and to register, visit https://www.gallery200.net/art-classes. Also there are brochures at the gallery. Classes are beginner friendly, intermediate and advanced artists are welcome. For further information, call 630 639-2599.

Staggered Book Class is from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 12. Nadine B. is the instructor. The charge is $25. Students provide a foam brush, all other materials are supplied.

Gelli Printing Basics classes are at 1 p.m. Wednesdays, April 16 and June 18, or at 3 p.m. Saturdays April 19, May 3 or June 28. The charge is $15 for each class. Patty D. teaches students how to create stunning, layered designs using stencils, paints, and textured tools. All materials are provided.

Sparkling Tree Art Workshop is from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 19, and has a charge of $35. Marita V. Is the instructor. Students create aTree of Life pendant using wire wrapping techniques. All supplies are provided.

Fused Glass Sun Catcher classes s are at noon Monday, April 21, or at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 23. The class, taught by Rita S., is for persons age 10 and up.The charge is $45. Students design and make three sun catchers, while learning the basics of glass fusing and design, including cutting glass and using several glass working tools. Sun catchers will be built on 3.5” circles of clear glass, using small colorful glass pieces, premade components, and other forms of glass.

Transform Flower Pots classes are at 1 p.m. Wednesdays April 30, and May 14, and at 3 p.m.Saturday, April 26. Patty D. is the instructor. The charge is $20. Students turn plain terra cotta pots into vibrant, hand-painted masterpieces. https://merleburl.com

CITY OF WEST CHICAGO 

  • For Women’s History Monday, West Chicago City Museum , 132 Main St., discussed the 1955 Pickle Packers of West Chicago quilt made by Doris Fulk and fellow women employees. The quilt is a single pattern album or friendship quilt comprised of 18 diagonal blocks. Fulk, a 16 year old, was inspired to make this quilt, memorializing her employment at the local pickle factory. She provided 17 of her coworkers with the design and each lady created her own block with an embroidered signature. Fulk joined the blocks together, and her mother, Wilma Webster, quilted it. The quilt is on display through the end of April. Museum hours are 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturdays.

Columbia Foods, the pickle factory, was located on the south side of the railroad tracks just east of Wilson Street. The factory opened in 1922 as Reid Murdoch, went through several name changes and eventually closed around 1968 as Michigan Fruit Canners. The pickle processing plant was known for Pic-L-Joy, a curly cut pickle which originated in West Chicago. In 1970 Jel Sert bought the plant and continues operation at the site producing freezer bars and drink mixes. https://merleburl.com

  • At the Monday, March 17, 2025, meeting, City Council approved a contract for the 2025 Roadway Rehabilitation Project in the amount of $1,404,603.79 to Brothers Asphalt Paving, Inc. in Addison. The Item Summary states, “ The project “includes resurfacing approximately 3.32 miles of various streets in the city…The scope of work generally consists of pavement milling, hot mix asphalt resurfacing, full depth HMA pavement patching, Intermittent concrete sidewalk,…intermittent combination curb and gutter removal and replacement, storm and sanitary sewer repairs,…parkway restoration, and thermoplastic pavement markings.

Also approved were two resolutions, IMRF ERI program and Amortization Schedule. The Item Summary states, “ During early conversations about the State’s elimination of the grocery tax, one of the options available to the City to help address the approximately $425,000 shortfall is to approve an early retirement incentive, replacing any vacated positions at salaries, benefits at least 80 percent of what they are today…the City approved the same program in 2002, with six employees taking advantage of the Program act that time, and also with the city paying off its responsibility earlier than the chosen ten-year window.’

Council approved the purchase of a 2025 Ford F59 Chassis with a Sep Van Body equipped by Sauber Manufacturing from Haggerty Ford in an amount not to exceed $158, 869. The Item Summary states, “When the new unit arrives in the fall of 2025, the current Units 652 and 653 will most likely be re-purposed for sue in other Divisions.”

Also approved was a resolution for the 1869 Train Depot Partial Demolition and Restoration. The Item Summary states, “The City of West Chicago has a long-standing goal of updating the historic 1869 Train Depot located downtown on city-owned property along Washington Street. In late 2023, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity awarded $100,000 to do a portion of the work, which includes cleaning out the crawl space,;demolishing the first floor; demolishing the first floor structures to accommodate future reconstruction; removal of utilities; removal, repair and restoration of the existing outdoor brackets around the roof perimeter; and add a new cement crawl space with mid-span columns for a future floor…The contract was awarded to Crown Coverings, Inc. of Roselle in the amount of $100,000.” Mayor Ruben Pineda stressed it was not for the demolition of the building. City Administrator Michael Guttman  said most of the work was for the interior. 

WEST CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT

  • From the storm Wednesday, March 19, 2025, poles and wires were down in the roadway. All lanes of Prince Crossing Road from North Avenue to Hawthorne Lane were shut down. As of 5:40 a.m. Thursday, March 20, the West Chicago Police stated on Facebook that ComEd had fixed the poles and wires. At 10 a.m., the department announced ComEd was back on scene and had all lanes of traffic closed from Meadowview Crossing to Hawthorne Lane. Again, this demonstrates how a storm can cause more damage in one section of the community and not others.
  • Illinois LETR 55-50 Raffle runs through Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025 and benefits Special Olympics Illinois. Ticket price is $10 for 5 tickets,$25 for 25 tickets. $50 for 100 tickets, $100 for 300 tickets and $200 for 2,000 tickets. To purchase tickets, visit https://illinoisletr5050.com/.The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police “proudly endorses the Illinois LETR 50/50 Raffle, benefiting the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics!… Every ticket sold helps support inclusion, empowerment, and opportunities.”
  • March is Social Worker Month. The West Chicago Police Department recognizes and honors the department’s in house social worker, Sofia Gonzales. Her service includes working alongside the police officers, providing support to the community, assisting victims of abuse, and working with outside agencies to bring even more help to those in need. https://merleburl.com
  • DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced Friday, March 21, 2025, that a jury found a DeKalb man guilty of shooting an innocent man in the face during his dinner break from work in 2021. The jury returned their verdict against Ahmad Steele, 38 after approximately two hours of deliberations following a three-day-long trial. In all, the jury found Steele guilty of one count of Attempt Murder – First Degree and one count of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm. Both counts are a Class X Felony with the Attempt Murder charge carrying a mandatory firearm add-on of twenty-five years up to natural life. Judge Daniel Guerin presided over the trial. Steele’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 29, 2025, for post-trial motions and return of the Pre-sentence Report. Steele faces a penalty of between thirty-one years to natural life in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

At approximately 7:50 p.m. January 28, 2021, West Chicago Police responded to Mapei Corporation on Industrial Drive for a report of a subject with a facial injury. Upon their arrival, officers discovered the victim walking around the building’s parking lot suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to his face. An investigation into the shooting found that the victim had been sitting in his vehicle in the parking lot during his dinner break. At approximately 7:31 p.m., a Chevrolet Blazer entered the parking lot and parked several spaces away from the victim. The driver of the Chevrolet, later identified as Steele, then exited his vehicle with a shotgun and walked toward the victim’s vehicle. Once at the driver’s side of the victim’s vehicle, Steele raised the shotgun and fired into the vehicle, shooting the victim, whom he did not know, in the face. After the shooting, Steele initially returned to his vehicle but then went back to the victim’s vehicle and raised the shotgun at the vehicle a second time before returning to his vehicle and fleeing the scene. On February 6, 2021, the Naperville Police Department observed the Chevrolet Blazer suspected to be involved in the shooting driving on Route 59. Officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and took the driver, later identified as Steele, into custody for driving on a revoked license. Steele was charged with Attempted Murder–1st Degree and Aggravated Battery with a Firearm on February 11, 2021, and appeared in Bond Court the following day where Judge Craig Belford denied bond. He has remained in custody at the DuPage County Jail since that time. The victim, who had undergone five surgeries to reconstruct his jaw, passed away from an unrelated illness in 2023.

ODDS AND ENDS 

  • The American Red Cross is coming to West Chicago as part of its “Sound the Alarm, Save a Life” program. Their volunteers, firemen and other partners are installing free smoke detectors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Saturday, March 29, 2025. These installations are by appointment only. To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/WestChicagoAlarms. For assistance call 312 890-2790. Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death from home fires in half.
  • Lisa Santoria was promoted to Director ofHuman Resources and Staffing at Western DuPage Special Recreation Association. She was the Human Resources Manager. In her new position, she will continue to lead key HR functions and support services and now will also focus on growing inclusion needs. https://merleburl.com

 

My email address is merleburl@earthlink.net.