Where are you from and how long have you lived in town? What brought you to the area?
I am from Madison, WI and after college I moved to Illinois to accept a new job. I lived in Oak Lawn, Wheeling, Palatine, and then Vernon Hills in 1992, and then on to Libertyville in 1994.
Do you have children? Ages?
I have two kids; Jenna is 27 and Alec is 25.
What are your favorite things to do in the area with or without kids? Family friendly restaurant? Date night?
When the kids were younger there were too many to name! We had scouting, school functions and sporting events but we always found time for movies, Independence Grove, Picnic In The Park and A Dickens of A Holiday. Their favorite restaurant was the Townee Square for breakfast on Sundays after church. Now we enjoy Car Fun on 21, Farmer’s Market, First Fridays or walks, sometimes ending up downtown or at Café Pomigliano. We also like Lino’s and Austin’s.
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, creative endeavor or in the corporate world?
We are the Founders of The Tranel Financial Group which opened in 1988 and have been in 3 locations, all in Libertyville, since 1992. We also run Freedom One Networking, a networking group for small businesses, at our office Thursdays at 7:15am. We have been a part of Rotary, MainStreet, The GLMV and the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA).
How has the community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
Once we discovered Libertyville with its quaintness and small-town feel, we knew it was something special. We loved the downtown main street, the camaraderie and how friendly everyone was. With all the support, a small business was easy to grow. It was also the perfect environment to raise kids.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I’ve been riding motorcycles my whole life and my current bike of choice is a Harley Davidson Sportster.
What is the best piece of advice you have gotten from another Mom?
Mistakes are learning experiences just waiting to happen, so let your kids make them. Also let them know you made them too.
What is next for you?
On a personal level; a wedding and Mother of the Bride!
On a professional level, I am excited to help our company grow through technology and innovation to help our local community flourish. With that, we have a program called Tranel Cares: Walk into Abundance in which a family or individual in need is selected for a personalized set of resources to help change the course of their life. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7
