Richard Roeper

Richard Roeper has been a daily columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for more than 20 years. His work has won numerous honors, including the National Headliner Award as the best columnist in the country.

Roeper has written eight books. The most recent, titled Bet the House, has just been published. He has also written for Esquire, Maxim, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide and many other national publications.

For eight years, Roeper was the co-host of "Ebert & Roeper." He currently reviews films for Starz, richardroeper.com, YouTube and hulu.com. Roeper is also a regular contributor to the Reelz Channel.

As a commentator for Fox in Chicago, Roeper won two Midwest Emmys. He has also worked as a film critic for the CBS-2 affiliate in Chicago.

Roeper has hosted radio shows on a number of stations in Chicago, including WLS-AM and WLS-FM. On April 12, Roeper will join the Roe Conn show on Chicago's WLS AM 890 airing weekdays from 2 – 6 pm.

Ed Swiderski

Best known for his recent appearance and engagement on ABC's reality show The Bachelorette, Ed Swiderski is currently working for Microsoft as a Territory Services Executive. Ed is highly involved in Chicago professional and community affiliations including serving as vice president of the Michigan State University Alumni Metro Chicago club, member of the Chicago Technology Executives Club, member of the Metropolitan Club of Chicago, and supporting various Chicago technology community forums. He is currently pursuing his master’s in information systems from DePaul University.

Matt Rodewald

Mat Rodewald knows the Chicago roads inside and out as the daily Traffic and Transportation Reporter for NBC5 News Today. Not only do you get a unique look at the daily traffic hassles and the most accurate travel times, Matt will also put his dancing shoes on for the weekly staple that's sweeping the city: Dance Friday.

Prior to joining the NBC5 team in December 2006 as a fill-in reporter in SKY 5, Matt anchored traffic reports for a number of radio outlets including WTMX, WDRV, WLIV, WCPT, and 9FM. He also worked as the Weekend Traffic Anchor for CLTV News.

You can also hear Matt as an anchor and host for WSCR - 670 the Score. He also has a vast experience with sports broadcasting as an Anchor/Reporter WMVP and a Play-By-Play Announcer for WKRS.

Along the way, he's done work for the Chicago Tribune, Kane County Chronicle, Comcast Network and WBIG radio as well.

LOVEHAMMERS

Marty Casey – vocals
Billy Sawilchik – guitar
Dino Kourelis – bass
Bobby Kourelis - drums

LOVEHAMMERS triumphant new disc, HEAVY CROWN, restores faith that heartfelt rock and roll can still thrive. With an inimitable and unpretentious sound, Chicago’s homegrown heroes punch out an album of thought-provoking, hook-injected airwave contenders that are long on hooks and incendiary riffs. Taking song ideas, tearing them apart and reassembling them to get the most out of each track, the groups self professed Lovehammers manipulation machine can take a bare bones song and morph it from an acoustic jam to a full-on orchestration

Jimmy D’Ambrosio

Jim, 32, has been a lifetime entrepreneur and Real Estate Owner/Operator. Known to most as “Jimmy D”, D’Ambrosio started his first business at 18 years old. He now owns many successful restaurants and bars in Chicago that grew due to his expertise in Marketing, Motivation, Negotiation, and Public Relations. Jimmy’s unique and dynamic personality was recently showcased when he starred on a much talked about episode of Bravo’s hit reality show “The Millionaire Matchmaker”. Jimmy’s combination of business acumen, street smarts, people skills, personality, and sheer desire blossoms most when you see him keeping residents happy and paying on time.

He has a high-profile career as a professional poker player, which included a 175th place finish out of 8,773 players at the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event that his good friend Jamie Gold won for $12 million. He can be frequently seen on ESPN dominating at poker tables across the country.

Christopher Zorich

Former NFL Defensive Tackle (Chicago Bears, 1991-96, Washington Redskins 1997)
2007 Inductee College Football Hall of Fame

Roland Williams

8 year NFL Veteran (1998 – 2006)
1998 Offensive Rookie of the Year
St. Louis Rams Super Bowl XXXIV Champion (Tight End)

Greg had a 4½ year career in the NFL, from 1996-2000, as an Offensive Lineman for the Seattle Seahawks.  He also played one season for the England Monarchs in Spring of 1998, after being allocated by the Seattle Seahawks.

Melissa Helstern

Author of How to Be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life and Getting Along Famously: A Celebration of Friendship who has been featured in Ocean Drive, Pages Magazine, CS Magazine, The Chicago Sun Times and The Chicago Tribune, as well as many television and guest appearances.

Andrea Schwartz

Vice President of Media Relations and Cause Marketing at Macy’s
Leads all Chicago-based designer programs at Macy's and serves on numerous boards and committees in Chicago such as the Mayor's Fashion Council, the Chicago Fashion Incubator Board, Chicago Loop Alliance, Chicago United to name a few. Honored as Chicago's top 53 women by Chicagolink Productions

Laura Anderson

2008-2010 Junior League of Chicago President

Laura has been a member of the Junior League since 1997. She has served in several positions including Current Issues Director, Marketing Vice President and several fundraising events. She is also a champion for the League’s Madhatters our long running children’s performance troupe that provides free performances at libraries and community organizations to promote literacy.

Laura currently resides in Naperville with her husband Scott, her daughter age 8 and son age 5.

Michael Harvey

Michael Harvey is the author of three critically-acclaimed crime novels, The Third Rail, The Fifth Floor and The Chicago Way as well as a journalist and documentary producer. He has produced, written and directed documentaries in both television and film and served as the co-creator, executive producer and producer of A&E’s groundbreaking forensic series, Cold Case Files. His television and film work has won numerous national and international awards, including multiple Emmy awards and an Academy Award nomination.

Kristen Pettit Grube

2009-10 Junior League of Chicago Executive Vice President
Kristen started her Junior League of Chicago career as a committee member and fundraising trainer with our Project CON:CERN program. She has also chaired our Done In A Day project which provides members with one day volunteer projects in the community.

Kristen was a non profit fundraising professional for eight years before starting her own promotional products company, Emblazeon.

Originally from Boston, Kristen has lived in Chicago for 17 years. She resides in the Lakeview area with her husband, Joe.

Ted Wulfers

Chicago Based singer/songwriter. His 2009 What Would Santa Do? CD received radio play all over the world and was chosen for Chicago's 93XRT's on-air feature Hear First. You may also know Ted as the Chicago musician who lost a gig at Milwaukee's Miller Park for singing the song "Go Cubs Go."

Dom Niro

Chicago’s Favorite Poker Guy Majestic Star Casino & Hotel, Poker Room Manager

Jason Gregorec

Vice President of Table Games and Marine Ops for Majestic Star Casinos in Gary, IN. 

He serves on the Board of the Directors for TradeWinds Services. TradeWinds Rehabilitation Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality services and training to individuals with differing abilities and designed to promote individual choice, growth and well-being, self-sufficiency, and community involvement across Northwest Indiana.

Mr. Gregorec has also served in the military with the 12^th Special Forces Group from 1987 – 1993. During that time, he was deployed to the Middle East for various operations.

Tim Tyrrell

Tim is currently the VP of the NFLPA Retired Players-Chicago Chapter

Tim had a Seven year career in the NFL playing for the Atlanta Falcons, LA Rams, Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was noted as one of the top Special team’s players in the league. Having been voted Special Teams Captain, “NFL runner up” for Special Teams Player of the Year, NFL Pro Bowl 1st alternate two years in a row and Special Teams Player of the Year with the LA Rams. Five years later he went on to play one year in Europe as a QB for the Branschwieg Lions located in Germany.