KEYNOTES!

Get to know a keyholder! There are hundreds of PBK Chicago members. Some are profiled below. What’s new with you?  Let us know about your accomplishments, promotions and other news. E-mail us at info@pbkaca.org, mail us a note or call us at (312) 409-1937.

Nancy Braund Boruch

Diane Baia Torres

Kathryn Norcross Black

Tad Waddington

Miriam Pollyea

Ted Utchen

Katrice Grayson

Robin Simon

Jon Miller

 

 

NANCY BRAUND BORUCH

Nancy Braund Boruch received her Phi Beta Kappa key in 1964 from Wooster College in Ohio, where she graduated with honors, earning a degree in history. She went on to teach American history at two colleges. She also attended graduate school at Georgetown University, obtaining a master's degree in American diplomatic history.

Eventually she decided to enter the commercial real estate business, first with Continental Illinois, where she rose to the rank of vice president of the real estate department, and then with several other firms. In 1993, Nancy became one of the founders and the CEO of Bonsall, Braund, Boruch, & Associates, an Evanston-based consulting firm specializing strategic real estate asset and portfolio management.

Nancy says she is driven by a desire to help others, which stems from her parents, who each had service-oriented professions: Her dad was a minister, and her mom was a teacher. Her parents also were active in the civil rights movement in the 1950's and 1960's.

"My purpose in life is to make the world a little better because I walked through it," Nancy says. To that end, she has volunteered for a number of worthy organizations, including the Neighborhood Capital Institute, the Chicago Theological Seminary, and her beloved alma mater, Wooster College, where she served as a trustee for six years and is helping to plan the 2014 class reunion. Also, following in her father's footsteps, Nancy recently went back to the seminary and has served as a pastoral care counselor and as an "on-call" chaplain at Evanston Northwestern Hospital.

When Nancy joined the PBKACA Executive Board in 2008, she brought not only her enthusiastic and generous spirit, but also her exceptional talents in strategic planning and membership outreach. One of the reasons she enjoys serving on PBKACA's Board is that she is able to "meet so many other Phi Betes who have multiple interests and who are passionate and concerned about what's going on in the world."

In her spare time, Nancy likes to travel to her cabin in the woods in Western Pennsylvania. She also is at work on a book of poetry and short stories.

 

 

DIANE BAIA TORRES

Diane Baia Torres' new play, The Lion's Share, will receive a staged reading at Chicago Dramatists on Saturday, Aug. 4, at 2:00pm.  The Lion's Share, set in Florence during the heady days of the Italian Renaissance, focuses on the clash between humanist principles of the great arts patron Lorenzo de' Medici and the fundamentalist tenets of the Dominican monk Girolamo Savonarola.  Diane's previous works have received productions and readings in Denver and Los Angeles.

 

 

KATHRYN NORCROSS BLACK

Kathryn Norcross Black (PBK from the University of Iowa and professor emeritus at Purdue University) has a chapter on "Giftedness" in the Handbook of 21st Century Psychology, a reference source for undergraduate psychology major published by Sage.

 

 

TAD WADDINGTON

Tad Waddington’s new book, Lasting Contribution: How to Think, Plan and Act to Accomplish Meaningful Work, will be in bookstores September 2007. This profound little book with insights from Aristotle to Zen will discuss how you can make a difference in the world. Published by Agate, it can be ordered through Amazon. Tad is a Lifetime PBKACA member and a co-chair of our Far East Interest group.

 

 

MIRIAM POLLYEA

The life and career of Executive Board member Miriam Pollyea (PBK Northwestern University) exemplify our PBKACA ideals: enthusiasm for pursuits of the mind.  Many PBKACA members know Miriam as the long-time chair of the Book Discussion Group, guiding our choices of books to read and leading the monthly discussions with her deep insight and her joy of reading. 

In addition, Miriam has been the guiding force behind many of PBKACA’s service projects, including the Chicago Debate Commission.  The commission began in 1997 to reestablish debate competition as an extracurricular activity in Chicago Public High Schools.  PBKACA members serve as volunteer judges, provide technical assistance and serve as role models for the debaters.  Currently, Miriam serves on the commission’s advisory board, chaired until his passing by PBKACA member Justice Seymour Simon.

Miriam was born and raised in the Lawndale area, along with her brother and two sisters.  Her parents were both immigrants, and they created a home with an international flair and a cultural, educational and socially conscious focus for the family of two sisters and a brother.  Through her father, a fine jewelry designer and diamond broker, she met traders from France, Belgium and Africa.  Through her mother and other relatives, she developed a love for music, seeing the opera “Carmen” at age 6.  She later learned the piano and music composition at the Sherwood School of Music.  In fact, she still owns her mother’s the Mason & Hamlin grand piano!

At Marshall High School, Miriam was one highly competitive student, serving as the class pianist and a class officer.  She won a full scholarship to Northwestern University, and although she planned to major in music, she loved every course she took, from botany to economics to statistics.  Her advisor recommended that she transfer to the liberal arts school, and Miriam switched her major to economics.  At that time, majoring in economics was not an easy task for a woman.  One professor asked her, “Did you think you were in home economics?”  Miriam was not discouraged, however, and she worked hard to get A’s and show that women could be true scholars.  She was initiated into PBK during her junior year.  Ironically, she nearly declined membership in PBK because she did not know what the group was and she could not afford the initiation fee.  Ultimately, an organization for which she volunteered paid for her membership. 

Upon graduation, Miriam began searching for a job as an economist, but once again, she confronted society’s stereotypes about women.  She received one job offer, but when she was told to bring her steno pad to work, she realized that it was a secretary’s position.  She declined the offer. 

Miriam then took the Civil Service Exam and received the top score.  She became an assistant supervisor at the Department of Labor in Chicago in the Minimum Wage, Women’s and Children’s Division.  Miriam married an attorney and a former violinist, and they had two sons and a daughter.  Miriam stepped down from her job to raise her children, but she continued participating in a number of volunteer activities, including teaching piano at her children’s elementary school.  She made such an impression at the school that the principal asked her to become a full-time kindergarten teacher.  Miriam agreed, and she earned a master’s degree and a certificate in early childhood education. 

For over twenty years, Miriam challenged her students and created award-winning educational materials.  When mandatory retirement loomed at age 65, she went to Springfield and fought to change the law.  Ultimately, the federal retirement age was raised to 70, and Miriam stayed on at the school.

After her husband’s passing in 1979, she moved to her current home on the Gold Coast and began a new career in real estate.  For 23 years, she has been an outstanding residential broker for the Habitat Company Brokerage Firm. 

Throughout her many career changes, her commitment to the liberal arts has been constant.  Miriam says she is thrilled about PBKACA’s new scholarship program and wants to help students becomes inspired about education and motivated to stay in college.  She feels every person should have a college degree and must understand liberal arts in order to function in a democracy.  Through her many activities, she has truly become a role model for our PBKACA members, scholarship recipients and the community at large.  

 

 

TED UTCHEN

Ted Utchen of Wheaton conducts his “Dictionary Project” every April for third graders.  He gives out dictionaries to each third grader in his school district.  He also gives a 30-minute question-and-answer presentation on how to use the dictionary.  He began this effort in 2003 and is part of a national network of people who work through a non-profit organization based in Charleston, S.C.  Last year over 1.9 million dictionaries were donated to school children.

 

 

KATRICE GRAYSON

Katrice Grayson has had her first literary essay published in the 40th anniversary edition of FOCUS, the literary magazine of Spelman College. "Becoming" highlights love's power to transcend time and space. Katrice received her key from Spelman, Epsilon of Georgia, in 2003 and is delighted to be included in this retrospective anthology that includes selections by National Institute of Arts Award winner (and fellow Phi Bete) Paule Marshall.

 

 

ROBIN SIMON

Academic Information: B.A. in Applied Mathematics and B.S. in Economics, University of Pennsylvania, 1985 (summa cum laude); PBK at Alpha of Pennsylvania, 1984; M.B.A., University of Chicago, 1989.

Professional Information: Head of SimonSez Consulting Corp since 2002; the company helps consumer products companies make better decisions through the use of information and is involved in forecasting and quantitative analysis to support sales and marketing. Worked at Kraft Foods for 12 years prior to starting own firm. Clients have included S.C. Johnson & Sons, ConAgra Foods (U.S. and International), Tropicana Division of PepsiCo, McNeil Labs Division of Johnson & Johnson, Alberto-Culver, Eight O’Clock Coffee Co., and Horizon Organic Dairy. Robin is also a frequent speaker for the Institute of Business Forecasting, giving 2-day seminars for organizations that include Nike, The Gap, GlaxoSmithKline, Molson Breweries and the Social Security Administration.

Favorite spots in Chicago: Any historic building or interesting modern structure/space – I’m a docent with the Chicago Architecture Foundation; Old Town School of Folk Music; [Almost] Any museum.

If I weren’t a consultant, I’d like to be a…: Travel photographer, commercial jingle singer, or a musician in a Broadway pit orchestra

Prized possessions: My collection of almost 400 snow globes and family photos.

Favorite book/movie/TV show/website: Wizard of Oz and most old sitcoms.

If I could have dinner with any three people (alive or dead), I’d dine with…: Benjamin Franklin, Lucille Ball, and Daniel Burnham (not sure they would all want to dine with each other, though!).

I’m a member of the PBK Chicago Association because…: I enjoy interacting with smart, interesting people at thought-provoking and unique events.