Where are you from and how long have you lived in town? What brought you to the area?
I was born in Lithuania and have lived in Buffalo Grove since 2004. My family first moved to California but after the big earthquake in 1994, we ended up in Northbrook where I went to Glenbrook North HS. I stayed fairly local for school – I went to Illinois Wesleyan University for my undergraduate degree and got my MBA from Kellogg.
Do you have child(ren)? Age(s)
I have a 5-year old boy Vincentas and a 2-year old girl Antanina.
Photo Credit: Pictures by GG
What are your favorite things to do in the area with and without your kids? Family friendly restaurant? Date night?
My kids love to play at Yu Kids Island at Hawthorn Mall although my son is almost at the height limit. We love hanging out in the Wiggleyville kids area at Barbara’s Bookstore while sipping on Chai tea from Hansa Coffee. Date nights are very limited for us. When we are able to escape, we love to go to Taste of Paris in Mundelein.
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor or in the corporate world? Please share!
I work for Centennial Real Estate as a VP of National Leasing overseeing leasing for Hawthorn Mall.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
I found this community to be very supportive to new moms – from Baby Story Time at Indian Trails Library to kids summer concert series that Buffalo Grove Park District puts together to an incredible store that is New Mother New Baby in Northbrook – not only do they sell a well curated selection of necessities but they also host a wonderful New Mom class – that’s where I met my best mommy friends and we are still in touch to this day.
Professionally, I met many wonderful business owners, some of them are moms or dads, that helped me understand better what the customers in our community want. It is wonderful to see that Hawthorn Mall is a fixture in the community that people care very much about.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I speak 5 languages – Lithuanian, Russian, English, Spanish, and German and I’m proficient in French. In attempt to learn how to sew as a hobby while staying home with my newborn son, I ended up being one course away from a Fashion Design associates degree from Harper College.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from another Mom?
Pick your battles. Sometimes it is better to let kids have their way on little things especially when everyone is tired and focus on the things that are important.
What is next for you?
Now that the kids are a little older, I look forward to traveling the world with our family and maybe squeeze in some time for a workout or two.
Professionally, I’m excited to participate in the evolution of Hawthorn Mall. I’ve never had more fun doing my job than right now. As the national retail landscape is changing, there is an opportunity to transform Hawthorn into a community gathering place by cozying up the mall interior common area and bringing in local/Chicago retailers such as Barbara’s Bookstores and Hansa Coffee. We want to be the incubator for local businesses and entrepreneurs and give them a chance to test their concept in a retail powerhouse. Very soon we will be able to share more details on the exciting redevelopment of Carson’s and Sears boxes.