Skip to content

Salute To Women In Business

Wendy Symer, WLS Consulting, Lebanon

    Wendy Symer comes from entrepreneurial stock. From Lebanon, Ill., her family owned a gift shop, foundry, photography business and raised, showed and sold World Champion Morgan Horses.  She claims fondly that she’s been “selling something since birth.”      With a master’s degree from SIUE, Symer started briefly in nonprofit PR, developing award-winning campaigns, lobbying…

Read More

Lisa Vaninger-Gaffney, furniture representative, Henricksen & Co.

By ROBERTA CODEMO    Lisa Vaninger-Gaffney has worked in the contract furniture business for more than 18 years. “I fell in love with it,” she said.    She spent 10 years as a manufacturer’s representative and eight years as a furniture dealer representative.  “This gets me closer to my clients so that I can truly understand their…

Read More

Mary Dix, Bonnie Coleman, First National Bank, Staunton

    Mary Dix and Bonnie Coleman make for a strong lending team at First National Bank in Staunton. Dix focuses on commercial loans; Coleman on residential.    Dix has a 41-year history in banking, starting as a teller with a small community bank in Belleville in 1975. She moved up the ranks as mergers changed the…

Read More

Diana Voegele, co-owner Express Employment Professionals, Edwardsville and Fairview Heights

By RITA DUCKWORTH    When Diana Voegele’s husband Marc decided to buy a franchise, she knew she’d be involved in the decision-making process, but didn’t expect to build a career.  When they learned about Express Employment Professionals, she wanted a larger role.     The couple just celebrated 10 years as co-owners of their Edwardsville franchise location.…

Read More