Departing Schaumburg Business Association President Lisa Gilbert is recognized for her 11 years of service, including the past seven as leader of the organization, by current Chair Patrick Panayotov of Proceed Innovative.
Courtesy of Schaumburg Business Association
Lisa Gilbert, the fifth president of the 23-year-old Schaumburg Business Association, will depart the organization today for a membership position with the Chicago-based Illinois Restaurant Association.
She joined the SBA 11 years ago in a similar membership role before succeeding Kaili Harding as president in 2018.
Gilbert said the SBA is in a strong position for the coming transition. Proud of the accomplishments of her tenure, which included keeping Schaumburg’s business community tight-knit through the challenges of the pandemic, she said she’s looking forward to her new opportunity.
Though intending not to be the center of attention at Tuesday’s “Good Morning, Schaumburg!” breakfast at which 1980s Chicago Bears great Dan Hampton served as the latest in a long line of famous guest speakers, Gilbert was surprised with a plaque and moment of recognition by current Chair Patrick Panayotov of Proceed Innovative in Schaumburg.
Panayotov’s praise had begun in his initial announcement of the change to the SBA’s members.
Schaumburg Business Association President Lisa Gilbert speaks during the Influential Women in Business Awards in 2018 at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village.
Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com, 2018
“Lisa’s dedication and vision will leave a lasting impact on our organization,” he said. “Over her 11 years of service, she contributed significantly in multiple roles, consistently demonstrating her commitment to our mission. Her diligence has set a strong foundation for our future success.”
Panayotov said the search process will take a little time to name a new president likely to provide a similar decade of leadership.
“Our goal is to find someone in a timely manner who’s the perfect fit,” he added.
Marketing and Communications Manager Christina Cox has been named interim president during the search.
Lisa Gilbert
An Arlington Heights resident and graduate of Hersey High School, Gilbert also owned Tuscan Market & Wine Shop there from 2015 until the end of 2021. She holds degrees from Indiana University and Columbia College.
Prior to her service to the SBA, Gilbert had been membership director at the University Club of Chicago for nine years.
With more than 800 members today, the Schaumburg Business Association’s success story began under the unlikely circumstances of being launched in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy and its devastating impacts on the economy.
Christina Cox
A group of businesses came together that month to create a more locally focused contrast to the regional Northwest Suburban Association of Commerce and Industry. But they couldn’t call themselves the Schaumburg Chamber of Commerce because NSACI already owned the rights to that name.
Though the regional organization folded five years later, the SBA has flourished under its default name.