The Lake County Haven

...A Haven for Homeless Women and Children

About the Lake County Haven
Meet The Board and Executive Director

Cindy Harger is currently serving as Executive Director at The Haven. Cindy has been involved with the Haven for 13 years now - first on the Auxiliary and then on the Board of Directors. Cindy lives in Libertyville with her husband of 31 years, Jeffrey A. Harger. Jeff is also the Mayor of Libertyville. Cindy's daughter, Becky, is a 4th grade school teacher living in Grayslake, IL and her son Justin and daughter-in-law Deedee are moving back to Libertyville soon so Justin can work with his dad in their lightning protection business. Cindy's passion for The Haven remains strong after so many years because of the incredible successes of our clients!

John Danloe has served on The Haven Board since its inception. John has raised thousands of dollars for The Haven through his enormous efforts at proposal writing. John was born and raised in the Chicago area, but has lived in Lake Forest for almost 30 years. He is semi-retired from his business of insurance brokerage, but stays active in that field through his own company, Danloe & Associates. He attends St. Patrick's Catholic Church, and tries to do as much golfing, fishing, and reading as possible. John is motivated by his desire to help people and make a positive difference in their lives.

Suzanne Abel Lingard serves as the Treasurer of the Board as well as the Treasurer of our Women's Auxiliary board. Suzanne hails from upstate New York, but has lived here over 20 years. Suzanne has her own business working as a CPA for a number of women-owned businesses. Suzanne and her husband David live in Libertyville. She has been involved with the Haven for over 10 years and calls it her labor of love.

Ray McKoski was born in Chicago and raised in Du Page County. He moved to Lindenhurst in 1977 with this wife Janis. The couple has a daughter, Sarah, who lives nearby. Ray is a Circuit Judge in Lake county. He has also served as the Chief Judge of Lake and McHenry counties for a number of years. Ray is a dedicated volunteer, as well as a board member. He served as Secretary of the Board for several years. He is constantly inspired by the people in our shelter who work so hard to gain their independence.

Betty Obiazi was born in Virginia and raised in Connecticut. She and her husband Paul had been married for over twenty years. The couple has two adult children. Betty works for RBC Mortgage as a compliance coordinator/supervisor. She is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association; and Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association. She has a degree in biology and is pursuing a degree in business management. Betty is an active volunteer and also enjoys dancing, skating, and travel. She was attracted to LCH because of its mission to help homeless women achieve financial independence.

Lorraine Pritchard has been involved with The Haven since 2001 when she joined the Women's Auxiliary as the co-chair of the annual Gala. Since then she has volunteered heading up the auctions and raffle and by helping to increase awareness of The Haven in the area. She and her husband, Greg, have three children and reside in Libertyville where they have been active members of the community for the past twenty years. Currently, Lorraine is also on The Board of Directors for Youth and Family Counseling. She continues to be energized by the success of The Haven graduates and hopes to contribute to the strength and growth of The Haven in the future.

Ann Shaw is originally from St. Louis, MO but has lived in the Chicago area since graduating from college. She lives in Lake Forest with her husband, Brad and son, Andrew. Ann worked for Marathon Charities (aka The Lake County Races) and this is how she became involved with The Lake County Haven. For 3 years The Haven was a beneficiary of the proceeds of the annual event and she worked closely with The Haven's staff and many of the wonderful Haven volunteers. She was very impressed with the dedication of the staff and volunteers and of course with the mission of The Haven. Ann currently works at the Lake Forest Parks and Recreation Department and enjoys running, reading and spending time volunteering at Andrew's school. She serves as Secretary of the Board.

Jamie Topolski is currently serving as President of the Board. He got involved with The Haven through a Day of Caring sponsored by United Way of Lake County. During this event, he organized a team of his co-workers who did a phenomenal job painting, cleaning, and repairing the shelter. Jamie was immediately impressed by The Haven's multi-faceted approach to helping people. He stayed on as a volunteer and his involvement grew over time. Jamie works for Discover Financial Services. He enjoys living in Buffalo Grove with his wife, Roz, and their children, Rachel and Jason.

Gail Wesson serves as Vice-President of the Lake County Haven Board. She was born and raised in Maryland and has lived in Lake Forest with her husband, David and daughter, Julie for the past ten years. She holds an MBA degree in Finance and is a Vice-President of Investments with UBS Financial. Gail has raised thousands of dollars from corporate and as well as private foundations for The Haven. Gail enjoys traveling, bicycling, boating, and golf and is honored to have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

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