Podcasts

Hosted by Jane Wernette, the latest episode of Spotlight features: 1) Kara Murphy, President of DuPage Health Coalition 2) Dora Praxedis, Board Member and Former Participant of Teen Parent Connection 3) Joe Jackson, Executive Director of Hesed House

Mothers and daughters share a very special and unique bond. On this Dana Being Dana, host Dana Davenport has the pleasure of chatting with two groups of local mothers and daughters to discuss the ultimate human connection, motherhood. As we prepare to celebrate mothers everywhere on Mothers Day, Dana digs deeper into the mother and daughter connection including her own personal relationships as she welcomes her mom, sister, and daughter to the conversation.

Hosted by Jane Wernette, the latest episode of Spotlight features: 1) Laura Nagelbach, President of the Board of Directors of A.D.O.P.T. Pet Shelter 2) John Rakes, Artistic Director of The Naperville Men's Glee Club 3) Wendy Goettsch, Executive Director of the Naperville Education Foundation

What are some interview tips that can take you from simple to stand-out candidate?  President and CEO of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce Kaylin Risvold chats all things hiring with local experts Samantha Meredith from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Duckie Huynh representing Insperity, and Bill Lehman from Employ Source Temp Solutions.   Interview Tips for the Employer Kaylin asked the panel “When posting a job, what are a few tips for the employer?” Samantha said “Being very specific and making sure you that you are letting the candidate know exactly what it is that they are applying for and what your expectations are so that there is nothing that is misleading or overlooked when they are applying for that, and they’re confident in knowing that what they are applying for they are qualified for.  Are Cover Letters Still Required?  Ducky believes “You should always include one because cover letters and resumes are two entirely different things. Your resume should be what your educational background, your skillset, and really have those details about your work history and experience.  Your cover letter is what sells you. It’s your marketing plan.  You have to show the value you bring to the organization.”    Ducky later went on to say that a cover letter “should always be customized, everything should be customized, whether its a cover letter or resume or even a short email introduction.  It should always be tailored to the position.” Interview Prep Kaylin asked the guests “What are some of the things that interviewees can do to prep for that first short meeting?” “They always need to research the company.  Find out what they do and what their vision is,” Samantha said.  Asking questions is a great way to demonstrate that you have researched the company.  Ducky recommends asking questions directly to the interviewer like, “what do you like best about the job?” And “how do you feel like you fit into the culture?”  Bill piggybacked off of that saying you should ask questions like “what kind of people have been successful in this role? What kind of attributes and skillsets did they have?” And then when you get the answer to that go to your experience and background and tie those together so being able to say you say that this time management is very important in this role and I have excellent time management skills and I exhibited that in my previous two positions doing XY&Z.”

Naperville local elections interest has soared after a year of contentious state and national elections. People are eager to weigh in on the decisions that directly impact the citizens of our community. On this Finding Common Ground, hosts Dana Davenport and Rebecca Malotke-Meslin, talk to former members of the school boards, park district, and city council about their experiences and their thoughts on where we are today and where we are headed in the future.

With Autism Awareness Month being upon us, this episode brings an opportunity to discuss how the global pandemic and other world changes impact the special needs community and those who love and support them. “The impact for the families we know and love here at Turning Pointe has been profound,” said Carrie Provenzale, Executive Director of Turning Pointe Autism Foundation. “Our families often times find themselves living extremely isolated lives from the greater community. So the global changes we’ve lived through this year have just further isolated these families and their care givers.”

Hearing loss is the third most prevalent health problem for older adults and affects more than 20 percent of Americans. “While it was really cool to turn up our music back in the day, now we’re often turning the volume up on everything just so we can hear it,” says Seniors Today Host Dennise Vaughn. To learn more about this issue, Dr. Jennie Wheeler, an audiologist with DuPage Medical Group joined the conversation.

Hosted by Jane Wernette, the latest episode of Spotlight features: 1) Lily Chen, President/CEO of the United Chinese Americans 2) Mike Llewellyn, President of Naperville Little League Baseball Association 3) Beth Carey, Director of Development for Sharing Connections