October Newsletter 2026
President's Message
Happy October!
We officially kicked off another year of RNPW, and what a great night we had at Hidden Creek Estates! It was wonderful to see so many of our members there, along with new faces and many of our mentees. Thank you to everyone who came out and helped us start the year on such a great note.
I also want to give another huge thank you to Kris Geddes and her committee for putting together such a fun and successful event. There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes, and we appreciate everything you did to make the evening special!
Now that our year is underway, I’m looking forward to what’s next. We have a great lineup of luncheons ahead, along with our Holiday Party and Professional Development Day. Our first luncheon is Tuesday, October 20 at Rockford University! If you haven’t signed up yet, be sure to register. I’d love to see another great turnout and keep the energy from our kickoff going!
More than anything, I hope you use these opportunities to get to know each other. RNPW is at its best when women come together, make new connections, strengthen existing ones, and build relationships that continue beyond our events.
Thank you for being part of RNPW. I’m excited to see what this year brings!
Emily Plumb
RNPW President
Member News and Events
Angie Hernandez
Marketing/Administrative Team
JOHN MORRISSEY ACCOUNTANTS, INC.
Where Clients Refer Friends
5919 Spring Creek Road | Rockford, Illinois 61114
815.282.3906 (direct line)
815.282.4600 (general office)
815.282.9329 (fax)
Don't forget This weekend:
Browse 75+ vendors featuring unique handmade items, home décor, clothing, fall favorites, gifts, and so much more! 
Enjoy live music and all the sights, sounds, and flavors of the season. 
A great way to kick off your holiday shopping and enjoy a fun-filled fall weekend at Edgebrook!
Congratulations to:
Information Controls is celebrating 40 years this year!
Jennifer Kuss 5299 Zenith Parkway Loves Park, Il. 815-484-2100
Amy Nord| Executive Director 779-208-7378 | ExecDirector@
Nikki Stine | OnPoint Results LLC
Phone: 815-977-9557
Great News!!
Lauren V. Davis Named Speaker for Wisconsin Restaurant Association’s Wome in Hospitality Conference
Lauren V. Davis, Personal Branding Consultant, Speaker, and Host of The Real Personal Branding Podcast, will be speaking at the Wisconsin Restaurant Association’s Women in Hospitality Conference in Madison, Wisconsin about Personal Branding and Professional Influence.
Lauren will share practical strategies to help women build professional visibility, communicate their value, and become known for what they do best. Her work focuses on personal branding, professional influence, and helping people build careers and businesses around their strengths, experience, and goals.
The Women in Hospitality Conference brings together women from across Wisconsin’s restaurant and hospitality industry for connection, education, and professional development.
Lauren has been a small business owner and longtime community business leader, having formerly owned Culture Shock in Rockford and served as co-founder and president of Winnebago Buy Local for 13 years, Lauren now enjoys spending her time consulting small business owners, speakers, and entrepreneurs while volunteering on community boards.
Lauren Davis
Personal Branding Business Consultant
779-220-0425 (Text Me)
Tandy Fischer
Million $ Cadillac Sales Director
815.742.MKAY(6529)
marykay.com/tandy
Welcome New Members
Welcome to RNPW! 🌿
To all of our new members, we're so glad you're here! We hope RNPW becomes a place where you make new connections, find encouragement, share ideas, and build relationships that go far beyond our monthly meetings.
We look forward to getting to know you and growing together. Welcome to RNPW!
Member Spotlight
Jody Perrecone
Perrecone Wellness LLC
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E-mail: [email protected]
I am a certified nutrition consultant and health coach focusing on improving and reversing clients' chronic diseases including but not limited to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, overweight and gastrointestinal disorders using diet, nutrition, quality of food, exercise, hydration, stress, and more. I meet clients where they are in their health journey, and together we will design a customized plan that will help them succeed in reaching their health goals in a manner that is doable for them.
Thirteen years ago I left a successful career with a Fortune 500 company when I was given an opportunity to work for one of the premier health and wellness professionals in the country. You see, health and wellness has always been of interest to me. Turns out, it was the best move I have ever made! I saw people learn to transform their health from sickness to wellness, not through pills and procedures, but by making simple lifestyle changes! People were able to take back control of their health and lose weight sensibly, lower high cholesterol and high blood pressure, reverse type 2 diabetes, find relief from gastrointestinal discomforts, and more.
Later I returned to school to become a Certified Nutrition Consultant, graduating with honors from Bauman College. I now have my own business helping people reach their health goals. I have plant-based nutrition certification from e-Cornell University, faculty status with WELCOA (Wellness Council of America), and am a certified facilitator for the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP). I am passionate about working with people one-on-one to help them successfully overcome their health concerns and help them reach their wellness goals through diet and nutrition.
I also give presentations on various health topics to work groups.
In addition to helping people reach their optimal health, I am on the health and wellness spoke of Transform Rockford, a team member of Family to Family, chair the Reach Rockford committee at my church, a committee member of the Mayor's Hunger Luncheon, and am a community member of the editorial board of the Rockford Register Star. I live in Rockford with my amazing husband Frank and our entertaining cat, Pico.
Sylvia Davis
Pierce Distribution
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E-mail: [email protected]
I am a Sr PCNetwork Specialist at Pierce Distribution Services which I have been employed at for over ten years. I work on a wide variery of information techonology task from end user support to deployment of new services. I am a proud of my accomplishments, the biggest being the first in my family to successfully obtain a bachelor's degree. I graduated from Rassmussen College (university) with honors with my major in Information Technology management. I also hold a network administrator certificate from Rasmussen.
Outside of my professional realm in my free time, I study the Japanese language. Currently I hold the N5 Japanese language proficiency certificate with full intentions of working my way up to pass the N1 whick will result with me being fully fluent in the language.
I am also a docent at Anderson Japanese Gardens. I also participate in many of their events including being a member of their community Taiko (Japanese drumming) group. With this group I have had many wonderful opportunities to preform at a variery of local school fairs and events within the community as well as help teach the drumming style to many people who may have never known about it.
Board of Directors
UNDER ONE CANOPY Kickoff Recap
Thank you to everyone who attended our 2026-2027 Kickoff at Hidden Creek! We had 126 ladies register for this event! Despite the threat of rain, the night turned out perfect (albeit a little chilly so the firepit/ fireplace came in handy). The Sweet Adelines (local all-female acapella group) kicked off the night with a 4-song performance, then we dined on a delicious sandwich and dessert buffet. “Kickoff Bingo” was the basis for networking during the evening with a drawing for lovely mums or gift cards from Landscape Connection. Emily Plum announced her theme for the year “UNDER ONE CANOPY, GROWING WITH PUPOSE”. The theme was carried through the grounds with floating umbrellas, arbors, yard sign carrying the theme, and lots of florals! Thank you to the ladies of the Events Committee for all your hard work and dedication to making the Kickoff a success; Jamie Bejot, Michelle Cox, Diane James, and Karla Lombardo. Special thank you to Michelle Cox for her very generous donations of the centerpieces, mums, arbor, etc. to truly make this night magical!
Kris Geddes, RNPW Events Chair
Inspirations
Growing Strong Roots
Building Confidence from the Ground Up
I think we sometimes have the wrong idea about what confidence looks like. We picture the woman who walks into a room, knows exactly what to say, and seems to have all the answers.
But I don't think that's where real confidence comes from.
I think it comes from doing the work. Learning your job, asking questions, making mistakes, finding people you can learn from, and being willing to try something new even when you're not completely sure you're ready.
That's really what Growing Strong Roots is about.
Our theme this year, Under One Canopy: Growing with Purpose, reminds me that we don't always see the growth happening underneath. But every new skill we learn, every challenge we work through, and every person who helps us along the way is strengthening those roots.
And here's something I've learned over the years: sometimes you have to do the scary thing first. The confidence comes later.
This Month's Challenge
Think about one woman who helped you grow professionally. Maybe she mentored you, opened a door, taught you something, encouraged you when you doubted yourself, or simply saw something in you that you hadn't seen yet.
Reach out and thank her.
A text. A phone call. A handwritten note. A cup of coffee.
And while you're at it, ask yourself one more question:
Whose roots am I helping strengthen?
Have a great month!
Network Connections
Did You Know?
Your RNPW membership includes an Online Membership Directory.
Looking for someone to do business with, collaborate with, or refer to someone you know? Start with another RNPW member.
The directory makes it easy to find and connect with the professional women already in our network.
Before you search somewhere else, search RNPW first.
https://rockfordnetwork.org/directory.php
