FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT

HEATHER LARSON, CMP, CDME

HLARSON@CHICAGONORTHWEST.COM

 

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (MAY 21, 2026) Meet Chicago Northwest (MCNW) announces their newly elected board of directors taking office on July 1, 2026.  At their recent annual meeting, Meet Chicago Northwest, the official tourism bureau for the northwest suburbs, showcased multiple sales and marketing achievements and recognized outstanding hospitality professionals in the community with the ChicagoNW Hospitality Awards.  MCNW celebrated over $231 million in hotel gross room revenue and over 3 million overnight visitors at their 62 member hotels.  

Business and civic leaders from the eight vibrant communities that MCNW represents - Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, Itasca, Rolling Meadows, Roselle, Schaumburg, Streamwood and Wood Dale attended the annual luncheon.

The sales and marketing organization brought in over $32 million in meeting and event group business to the region and touted 5.8 million social media views as well as over 105 million total ad impressions.  Highlights included another successful Chicago Northwest Restaurant Week as well as hosting the World Irish Dance Championships that met at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel in late March - generating over $5 million in economic impact alone.  The team looks forward to welcoming more large scale events this summer including the PGA Presidents Cup in late September.

“Meet Chicago Northwest continues to see strong momentum as visitors discover everything our region has to offer - from major events and entertainment to dining, shopping, and hospitality experiences,” says MCNW President Heather Larson, CMP, CDME. “The success of the past year reflects the strength of our partnerships across the northwest suburbs, and we look forward to working alongside our newly elected board to continue driving visitation, economic impact, and regional awareness in the year ahead.”

MCNW also announced the election of its Board of Directors for 2026-2027.  The tourism bureau greatly appreciates the time and knowledge these individuals bring to the tourism industry in Chicago's Northwest suburbs. Members of the MCNW board oversee its sales and marketing efforts as well as its financial direction.  They are pleased to announce that Chuck Valenti, General Manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago -Arlington Heights, will serve as Chairman of the Board for the organization’s 2026/2027 fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026.

Meet Chicago Northwest 2026/2027 Board of Directors

  • Chair Chuck Valenti, DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago - Arlington Heights

  • Chair Elect Chris Speca, Woodfield Mall

  • Past Chair Dieter Heigl, Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel

  • Vice Chair Lisa Gregor, Church Street Brewing

  • Vice Chair Shirlanne Lemm, GOA Regional Business Association

  • Vice Chair Jerry Varghese, Country Inn And Suites Elk Grove Village

  • Treasurer Mark Dekhtyar, CPA, Porte Brown

 

The Board of Directors for 2026-2027 are:

  • Steven Andrews, PACE

  • Chip Brooks, Hey Nonny

  • Monique Cody, Hyatt Regency Schaumburg

  • Mayor Tom Dailly, Village of Schaumburg

  • Trustee Jeffrey Franke, Village of Elk Grove

  • Lee Hoener, Chicago Marriott Schaumburg

  • Dwight Hopfauf, Westin Chicago Northwest

  • Michael Jacobson, Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association

  • Karyn Kraske, Daily Herald

  • Sam Patel, Aloft & Holiday Inn Express Hotels

  • Mayor Jeffrey Pruyn, Village of Itasca

  • Randy Recklaus, Village of Arlington Heights

  • Rob Sabo, City of Rolling Meadows

  • Janelle Silva, City of Wood Dale

  • Jen Thanos, Pollyanna Brewing Company - Roselare

  • Pratik Trivedi, Trivedi Hospitality Group 

 

About Meet Chicago Northwest

Meet Chicago Northwest (MCNW) is a non-profit, 501c6, destination marketing organization whose mission is to promote its service area of eight communities (Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, Itasca, Rolling Meadows, Roselle, Schaumburg, Streamwood, Wood Dale) for meetings, convention, sporting events and leisure visits. MCNW concentrates on direct sales and marketing programs designed to promote the area in order to increase overnight hotel stays, thereby enhancing the local economy through visitor spending. MCNW is one of 37 Illinois-certified convention bureaus and the first in the state to have achieved the prestigious DMAP Accreditation through Destinations International. For more information, visit chicagonorthwest.com.