Giannoulias hosts Smart Women Smart Money in Carbondale

Honors three local women for business and financial achievements

Sept. 25, 2007

Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias will honor three local women today at his Smart Women Smart Money conference in Carbondale.

Giannoulias will name Chanda Green and Dalus Kulich the “2007 Women on the Rise” for Carbondale. Using their combined years of experience as journalists, Green and Kulich, a mother-daughter team, founded the Heartland Women newspaper in 2004. It is the first newspaper founded by women for women in Southern Illinois.

Phyllis Wallace, vice president of First State Bank in Campbell Hill, will be named the “2007 Woman of Excellence” for Carbondale. Wallace is being recognized for breaking through the “glass ceiling” in her rise from bank teller to bank administrator.

“There is a saying – ‘Women and money. They are two of the strongest things in the world,’” Giannoulias said. “Smart Women Smart Money conferences like these are designed to strengthen that relationship and recognize women’s extraordinary achievement. As the financial health of women improves, so too does the financial health of neighborhoods, communities and the state of Illinois.”

Smart Women Smart Money conferences, now in their seventh year, present a unique opportunity for women to learn about current financial issues, network with other women, and showcase their businesses and organizations. The Carbondale conference is sponsored by Dollars and Sense Inc., a non-profit organization, in conjunction with the Southern Illinois Women’s Business Council and Business and Professional Women.

David England, associate professor of business at John A. Logan College, will present on investing and asset protection for women. Additional conference topics include the Treasurer’s low-interest loan programs and Bright Start College Savings Program.

The Smart Women Smart Money conference is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25 at the Carbondale Civic Center, 200 S. Illinois Ave.