By Megan McKinney
It was a glorious night in every way, with perfect autumn weather and the spectacular setting of the Brookfield Zoo. The evening was ideal for top brass of the Chicago Zoological Society (CZS) and distinguished guests who turned out to honor Dr. Stuart Strahl, the Society’s outgoing President and CEO. Altogether there were approximately 120 friends, political leaders and colleagues who gathered for a cocktail reception and dinner at the Zoo’s Pavilions to pay respects to CZS’s leader of the past 18 years.
Jim Bramsen, CZS Life Trustee; Honoree Dr. Stuart D. Strahl and Betsy Bramsen, CZS Vice Chair
CZS Board ChairCherryl Thomas, right, with President of the Cook County Board Toni Preckwinkle
CZS Trustee James Bryan, CZS Women’s Board Member Ann Grube and CZS Vice Board Chairman John Grube
CZS Women’s Board Members Esther Bryan and Melissa Canning
Michael Emmert CZS Treasurer; and Randy Vicker, Society Secretary
Kelley Schueler, CZS Vice Chair; Heidi Hulzenga, Society Trustee; and Doris Christopher, Governing Member Ambassador
Susie Getz and CZS Vice Chair Bert Getz
Women’s Board Member Jennifer Popish and Dean Popish
CZS Trustee Veronica Gomez and Jeff Bushofsky with a tamandua
CZS Curator Glenn Granat, holding a ball python, and Benita Romano, CZS Trustee
CZS Trustee Kevin Killips and Cindy Killips with a Brookfield Zoo reindeer
Nancy Tameling, CZS Governing Member Ambassador and Glenn Granat, returning with the ball python
Women’s Board Members Vicki DeMar and Roxann Giovannini
Trustee Dr. Bonny Chen and Jim Olguin
Jon and Nancy Hamill
Emily and Robert King
Arnold Randall, General Superintendent of the Forest Preserves of Cook County; Kevin Morrison, Cook County Commissioner; Cherryl Thomas, CZS Board Chair; Honoree Dr. Stuart Strahl; Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives; Toni Preckwinkle, President of the Cook County Board; Mike Zalewski, Illinois State Representative and Frank Aquilar, Cook County Commissioner.
Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and Cherryl Thomas, CZS Board Chair
Sandy Manne, CZS Governing Member Ambassador, Dr. Strahl and Jerry Manne, CZS Trustee
CZS Governing Member Ambassador Hall Healy and CZS Governing Life Member Nancy Hamill Winter
Illinois State Representative Mike Zalewski and Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, present Dr. Strahl with Illinois House Resolution 187, which celebrates his career achievements
John Grube, Cherryl Thomas, Dr. Strahl and Bill Kunkler, CZS Deputy Chair
Nancy Hamill and Heidi Huizenga, CZS Trustee
Barbara Bradford, CZS Trustee and Women’s Board Member, with Women’s Board Member Esther Bryan
Dean Popish and Women’s Board Members Jennifer Popish and Melissa Canning with CZS Trustee Michael Canning
Photography by Jim Schulz, Chicago Zoological Society
Edited by Amanda K. O’Brien
