4 minute read
Stroll Park Ridge July 2025
SAY HELLO TO THE
Chovanec FAMILY!
FAMILY MEMBERS: Steven, Monica, Lincoln (5), Leighla (2) and Khalessi (a Cane Corso).
HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD? 8 years.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOUR NEIGHBORS MIGHT KNOW YOU FOR? We just moved from the Country Club area to across the street from Uptown. These neighbors probably know us as the new family on the block which just moved into the Maloney Custom Built Home. They may also know us by our cute kids! However, there are a ton of kids on the block so they blend in easily. In the future I hope we are known for our kindness and interest to supporting our community.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR KIDS. Lincoln goes to Pre-K at the STEM Studio and Nature School at the Park District. He is a creative, outgoing, loving, sweet, fast-pace little boy. He loves to be with mom, dad, and sister. His interests include building robots, learning about science, and doing hands-on exploratory
projects. Leighla is a calm, joyful, silly, and peaceful little baby. She loves all things music. She likes to go to the “Jigglejam” or “Hello Baby” classes. She gets really into these classes and even tries to be the teacher’s helper. Both of my kids are big cuddlers and we spend a lot of time just enjoying the special time we have with them. They are only young for so long!
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TOGETHER AS A FAMILY? We are together a lot. Mom and dad have a flexible schedule which allows for a lot of direct attention to the kids and each other. Weekends are spent with grandparents, cousins, play dates, and just enjoying time together. In the summer we spend all our time outside, going to the farmers market on Saturday mornings since we can walk right across the street to it.
WHAT ARE YOUR PROFESSIONS? I am the founder of MMC Educational Consulting and Staffing. I was a school psychologist for 10 years until I had my son in 2020. I ended up never going back after maternity leave and started my own company focused on staffing school psychologists in the Chicagoland
area. In a few short years the company grew to 35+ employees. It recently was acquired which has allowed me to get back to what I love most - being a mom. Although, I am staying on with the new company, this still allows for great flexibility! My husband, Steve works for Northern Trust as a Vice President of Wealth Management/Incident Management. He worked really hard to support us while I got MMC up and running. I am really proud to have him by my side.
ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT ANY CHARITIES? We rescued our dog from a local dog rescue, Players for Pits, 7 years ago. We fostered 2 dogs with them. It was one of the most rewarding experiences, but a lot of work! This year we are having a small charity event at our house in which we will take proceeds and donate to a local animal rescue or shelter.
DO YOU HAVE ANY 4TH OF JULY TRADITIONS? We like to indulge in all of the traditional American holiday extravaganzas; hot dogs, fireworks, BBQs with friends and family, fests, parades, and sparklers. Steve’s brother is a veteran so we always take this day to honor his service and all other veterans for continuing to support our independence.
FAVORITE PARK RIDGE RESTAURANT? Holts. We literally love Holts. The goat cheese pizza is a must.
FAVORITE PARK RIDGE PARK? Prospect Park. So much to do!
