About a mile west of the heart of the Village of Barrington, gentleman farmer Harry Stillson Hart and his family spent their summers relaxing, watching as their cattle grazed their property. His son-in-law, Harold Byron Smith, went on to become the founder of the Village of Barrington Hills in 1957 and served as its second mayor. He and his wife, Pauline Hart, for whom Hart Road is named, lived in Barrington Hills their entire lives. Their granddaughter Gillian—herself a lifelong resident of Barrington Hills—married Rob Stoettner and together they continue the long-standing tradition of raising their children in Barrington Hills. Stoettner recalls the Village of Barrington not changing much from when she was younger, “it is still very quaint and self-contained.” However, the areas around Barrington have exploded with developments and population since then. “Barrington is synonymous with my identity, especially because of my family heritage here,” Stoettner says.

Stoettner continues to uphold her family’s values of giving back to the communities they hold close to their hearts. Currently, she sits on the Barrington Hills Planning Committee; the Board of Trustees at her alma mater, the University of Lynchburg; and also volunteers at Rush University Medical Center. Stoettner’s family involvement with Rush University Medical Center dates back to 1872 with six generations of family members volunteering or sitting on the board of trustees.

“In my family we have been taught for many, many decades that we give back to the community,” said Stoettner. For the past 21 years, she has been on the board serving in some capacity with jobs ranging from the head of finance to serving as a member on the ticket committee. Now, Stoettner is the Event Chair of The Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center’s 27th Annual Spring Luncheon, which will be held on May 9.

The luncheon will be the Woman Board’s first in-person event in two years with Ali Wentworth, an acclaimed actress, comedian, author and producer, serving as keynote speaker.

Members of the board are looking forward to Wentworth enriching the experience with shared happiness and laughter. “I could not think of anyone better to host this important event. She is funny and well-rounded and sure to be an exciting host,” says Stoettner.

The hospital partners with the Woman’s Board to ensure that the funds raised go to departments within the hospital and community that will make a powerful impact. The luncheon highlights the work being done in support of the Woman’s Board 2022 Principal Project, The Woman’s Board Fund for Excellence in Cellular Therapy. Rush is aiming to become one of the nation’s first clinical trial sites for tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, or TIL, therapy which is a potential treatment breakthrough for solid tumor cancers showing earliest promise in lung cancer and melanoma.

The Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center 27th Annual Spring Luncheon will be held Monday, May 9, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago. Looking to the future, Stoettner wonders what the next six generations of her family will be using their collective good to work toward.

For more information, visit thewomansboard.org/event/27th-annual- spring-luncheon/.