Executive Club Newsletter

November 2008

Cultivating Creativity in Champaign County

40 N 88 W

by Ellen Schmidt

Thursday, November 20 Champaign Country Club
11:30 a.m.:  Registration and Networking
11:45 a.m.:  Buffet Opens
12:15 p.m.:  Mtg/Program

Megan Wolf, Director of 40 North | 88 West will discuss how the organization embraces the following values which guide our actions, inform our vision, and drive our mission.

40 N 88 W believes:
-the arts are fundamental to the quality of every life. The arts must be accessible to all.
-diversity in all its forms is essential to a vibrant creative community.
-the arts must be integral to the education of our children.
-the arts are a vehicle for social change.
-the arts are a catalyst for economic development.
-artists must be recognized, valued, and compensated for their work.
-art is a powerful vehicle for collaboration among individuals, organizations and businesses. Come learn more about 40 North

Registrations are due by noon on Monday, November 17. Please indicate if you are bringing a guest. Contact the Treasurer with questions about registration.  Register online now!

*Remember, there will be a $5 late fee for reservations received after the Monday Noon deadline. Attendees with late or no reservations will be permitted to attend as seating is available.

Pre-register online and send a check for $15 to ECCC, P.O. Box 61, Champaign, IL 61824-0061 OR pre-register online and pay on day of luncheon.

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Five Ideas for Staying Sane in a Crazy Market

President’s Message

by Hope Wheeler

Amidst the recent economic downturn, it is likely that many of us in Executive Club have thought of our investment portfolios, especially retirement savings. I know I have. I recently read the following article, “Five Ideas for Staying Sane in a Crazy Market,” on the 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy web site and noted that the content provided good insight on managing your money AND your emotions in the period of stock market uncertainty. One of the most valuable investor skills is to be able to keep your cool, and the following advice will help you do just that.

Stay on Course by Continuing to Save: Even if the value of your holdings fluctuates, regularly adding to an account that’s designed for a long-term goal may cushion the emotional impact of market swings.
Stick with you Game Plan: Solid asset allocation is the basis of sound investing. One of the reasons a diversified portfolio is so important is that strong performance of some investments may help offset poor performance by others.
Look in the Rear-View Mirror: If you are investing long term, it sometimes helps to look back and see how far you have come. If your portfolio is down this year, it can be easy to forget any progress you may already have made over the years.
Remember that Everything’s Relative: Most of the variance in the returns of different portfolios is generally attributable to their asset allocations. If you have a well-diversified portfolio, it could be useful to compare its overall performance to relevant benchmarks.
Remind yourself that Nothing Lasts Forever: Ups and downs are normal for the stock market. If you regret not selling at a market peak or missing a bargain, remember that there will be opportunities again.

It has been discouraging looking at my investment statements as it probably has been for many of you. I am not an investment expert (though we do have many in our club!) but what I hear from the experts and read the most is “keep your cool”.

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Please Welcome New Members

The ECCC board recently voted in four new members. Please take time to say hello to:

Safiya Umoja Noble, is Creative Director of OJC Technologies. Safiya implements creative marketing strategies for clients, manages complex websites, multimedia projects, and a variety of client accounts including UIUC, and Patch Adams’ non-profit organization. Ms. Noble is currently completing a MS in Library & Information Science from UIUC. She holds a BA in Sociology and has credits toward an MA in Sociology from San Jose State University. She has extensive travel experience in Nigeria, Caribbean, Latin America and Europe.

Roaa M. Al-Heeti, is an attorney for Nally, Bauer, Feinen & Mann, P.C. Roaa practices law in the areas of real estate, immigration, wills and estate planning, guardianships, civil litigation, labor and employment law and family law including divorce. She graduated cum laude from the UIUC College of Law. In addition to a law degree she holds a MS in journalism and BS in journalism. She is a fluent Arabic speaker.

Linda Myette, is director of development and leadership gifts at The Carle Development Foundation. Linda is a returning member having worked briefly for OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Foundation. She currently serves as part of the senior leadership team to create and implement strategies for securing major and planned gifts. She has a MS in education from Indiana University and a BA in English education from Greenville College. She has been active in her community belonging to Champaign West Rotary Club, Mattis Avenue Free Methodist Church, and Greenville Alumni Board.

Dr. Anita B. Pride, manages a private holistic wellness center in downtown Champaign. Helps patients achieve wellness by combining functional medicine, homepathy, nutritional counseling, weight management, and laboratory interpretation. She received a doctorate in chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic, a doctorate of Homoepathic Medicine from the British Institute of Homoeopathy and advanced studies in nutrional education.

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Member Profile

Ellen Schmidt

Ellen Schmidt is proud to be a townie. What she liked most about growing up in Champaign is that fact that she’s formed relationships with people that she has known since elementary school. Currently Ellen is Vice President for Community Investment at United Way of Champaign County. She oversees the campaign, leadership and marketing aspects of the office. She loves meeting and working with people and this job gives her a lot of interaction with people. She enjoys raising money and seeing that the dollars raised make a difference in the lives of so many.

A recent graduate from Eastern Illinois University Ellen said her best memory of college was on graduation day, when her husband and children came to her graduation ceremony and gathered afterwards for a celebration.

Ellen likes to golf, and bicyle and she loves to travel and listen to music. She likes most kinds of music - jazz, pop, rock, and some country. For movies she leans toward comedy and drama. Her favorite movies of all time are The Shawshank Redemption, Gone with the Wind & The Green Mile.

One thing you may not know about Ellen is that she sat as a juror on a death penalty murder case in Champaign. The entire trial lasted nearly a month. One thing you may know about Ellen is that she is proud of her children for following their dreams. Her son is very involved in politics, her oldest daughter is finishing her masters in social work and her younger daughter is pursuing a teaching degree.

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Member Profile

Julie Roth

Julie Roth is the Managing Broker for Prudential Snyder Real Estate (Village at the Crossing). She grew up in Farmer City, IL and liked growing up in a small, tight-knit community where everyone looked out for their neighbors. There were 72 students in her high school graduating class. Her children went to the same high school and had many of the same teachers.
After high school Julie attended Illinois Wesleyan University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 3 years instead of 4 years. She likes light rock, oldies and is a self-proclaimed “chick flick” lover. Happily married for 24 years to her high school sweetheart she has two sons. Tyler recently married and Justin is a junior at Coastal Carolina University in Myrtle Beach, SC.

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October Program Summary

Alexander Technique with Jeff Tessler

by Ellen Schmidt

Jeff Tessler, certified as a teacher of the Alexander Technique was the October speaker for executive club. Jeff talked of the benefits of the Alexander Technique in enhancing the quality and performance level of any activity.

Jeff helped several members to improve their posture and provided "hands on" treatment as well. The goal is to help release unneeded tension within your body. It also teaches you the skill so that you can continue to release the tension in your everyday life.

Nancy Casey provided a first-hand account of how the treatment had helped her release a lot of neck tension that she had experienced throughout her life.

Tessler provided information and the chance to experience the Alexander Technique by offering a $30 discount off the first one-hour session with him.