Thank you!

We are so grateful to Thomas Jefferson Middle School Principal, Tamara Byrne and her team for giving their Saturday. You made PTA volunteers and families feel welcomed and supported. We also thank Northwest Cook Council and Region PTA leaders for helping us host and feed our guests at this stunning location. A special thank you to Community Consolidated School District 15 Superintendent, Dr. Laurie Heinz, for opening your doors to PTA artists and families. ​

A heartfelt thank you to Steve McCarty, Betsy Bovee, Linda Vernon, Carolyn McCarty, Lizzy Malloy, Peggy Staehlin, Jim Sklena, Cheryl Gleason and Jeanette Harris for serving as our workshop leaders and sharing your time, energy, and talents. Many thanks to Lavinia Morozan from Art Studio for Fun (Downers Grove) for sponsoring and leading the Buttons and Bows Bracelet Workshop. Thank you to Jamie Kanas, last year’s Spotlight guest and this year’s Poetry in Motion workshop leader, for showing us what it looks like when parents raise their hand to lead.

Deep appreciation to every volunteer who helped make Spotlights possible, including Kristin Kramer who leads the National PTA Reflections program in Illinois; Carolyn McCarty, who founded SPOTLIGHT in 2013 and sustained it for 13 years; Peggy Staehlin, 2025-2026 Spotlight Chair; and, of course, every Reflections chair across Illinois. We value your work, time, and care.

We’re beginning outreach for next year’s Spotlight location and would welcome any introductions or connections—please email spotlight@illinoispta.org if someone comes to mind who could help. And like Jamie, we hope you’ll consider joining us as a workshop leader next year.