This has been one heck of a year. I could consult my crystal ball to see what 2017 holds, or I could just stay the course and keep making money…
Catherine Holbrook and Grace Goro were paying it forward by collecting money outside the Wrigley Building for the Salvation Army with the YPN. Sources reported that they grabbed attention by doing cartwheels and push ups, and dressing up as elves, reindeer and Santa Claus. More good deeds: The Sarah Leonard Team collected 20 bags’ worth of coats for a local fire station coat drive.
New Year’s is right around the corner, so agents all around Chicagoland will soon commence making resolutions they can’t keep. If you need additional inspiration, look no further than Nick Libert’s Insta: if he’s not selling houses, then he’s at Soul Cycle – and he’s trying to wrangle his entire office into joining in on the fun.
The dynamic duo Carrie Bey-Little and Marki Lemons posted a video to congratulate MORe CEO Pam Krieter on her retirement. Pammy’s been the CEO for over 21 years, so people born the year that she became the CEO can legally go out and have a drink with her!
It’s the time of year for holiday party cheer. On Dec. 1, HBAGC hosted a holiday party at the Miele Experience Center. Folks slurped cocktails and munched on hors d’oeuvres while trying to win raffle prizes. All proceeds were donated to Toys for Tots. ‘Tis the season indeed.
On the same day, Co Ops 101 took place on the ninth floor of 2450 Lakeview Ave. The symposium and Q&A was advertised to include some of the industry’s “most passionate and knowledgeable” leaders in their respective fields. With folks like Dennis Rodkin, Leslie Struthers, Lisa Saul, Chip Von Weise, Jim Kinney and Andy Bowyer, it lived up to the hype.
On Dec. 7, CONLON/Christie’s held their annual holiday party at Fulton Market Kitchen with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. On Dec. 8, Jameson Sotheby’s hosted a VIP First Look event at Two West Delaware. As a VIP, my invite arrived, but sadly I missed out on a first look of my own. I will try to finagle my way into a glance after the New Year.
In the spirit of the holidays, here are some holiday- and winter-inspired birthday shout-outs! Mike “Frosty” Jones celebrated on Dec. 6, while Kelly “You had me at Hello” Maguire, Barbara “O Come All Ye Faithful” O’Connor, and Andy “Mistletoe” Shiparski celebrated on Dec. 8. Todd “Mulled Wine” Mullen had a birthday on Dec. 9, while Judy “Pitter Patter” Pettas lands on lucky number 13. Michael “Bough” Bauknecht and Drew “Blustery” Boland share a Dec. 16 birthday, Mike “Santa’s Helper” Sato gets older on Dec. 17, and Kathleen “Merry” Malone celebrates on Dec. 19. Then we’ve got Jeff “On Prancer, On Dancer” Lasky on Dec. 20, Denise “Born on Christmas Day” Salazar on Dec. 25, Jeff “Mince Pie” Metz on Dec. 27, and Mary “Ornaments” O’Connor on Dec. 28. Narrowly missing a New Year’s Eve birthday, we’ve got JoAnn “Sugarplum” Sworan, Jennifer “Joyful” Evans and Mike “Kris Kingle” Kravitz on Dec. 30.
That was a mouthful. Happy holidays everyone! See ya next year!