Hi!
 
I live in Schaumburg, Illinois.  There are only 2 Schaumburg's in the world.  One in Germany and one in Illinois.  People who settled in this area of Illinois were from Schaumburg, Germany.
 
Schaumburg is a northwest suburb of Chicago.  It has grown from a quiet little farming community to one of the most vital communities in the state.  Sales tax revenues collected from retail such as Woodfield Mall, Streets of Woodfield, Ikea and numerous car dealerships generate the second largest amounts in the state.
 
I'm proud of our Village and what it has accomplished over the years.  Our motto is: Progress through thoughtful planning.  I have been a member of the Plan Commission for the Village for over 15 years.  Some of you may visit Schaumburg in the future when our new convention center opens next June!
 
I work for IKEA.  IKEA is an international home furnishing store out of Sweden.  If you have an IKEA anywhere near you, I urge you to visit.  Or, at least go to their website www.ikea.com
 
In addition to working full time, my online marketing and my children and 3 wonderful grandchildren, I am involved with Sister Cities International.  http://www.sister-cities.org/  I will be the president of the Illinois State Chapter next year.  Sister Cities was formed by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956.  The concept of the organization is "Pleace through people-to-people".  He believed if people from various parts of the world stayed in each other’s homes ad became friends there would be less likelihood of war.  Unfortunately, we have not reached his goal yet, but we're working at it.
 
Schaumburg is sister city to Schaumburg, Germany and Namarikawa, Japan.  If you have a Sister Cities program in your area volunteer to be a host family for a student or a visiting adult.  It's a great opportunity to show off your town, your culture and to make a new friend.
 
Personally, I enjoy cooking and traveling.  My dream is to do a PBS television series of food around the world.  I love learning about different cultures and the food they eat.  How it evolved, the spices they use, the way the food is served.  It would be fun to share that with others through a TV show 
 
In the mean time, I'll continue with my online marketing efforts, my political endeavors, Sister Cities and my family!