News Briefs: Linden Jewelry opens; Highland Park mayor named to regional role; Bank donates to local rotary

A new jeweler has opened in southeast Wilmette.

Opening day for Linden Jewelry & Estate, 509 4th St., was Nov. 30.

According to the business’s website, Linden Jewelry & Estate is a family-owned business with a collection of fine jewelry and watches, as well as estate-purchasing services, jewelry and watch repair, and watch-battery changes.

Mayor Rotering takes reins of regional caucus

Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering is the new leader of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, a consortium of 275 municipalities in northern Illinois.

Rotering was a unanimous selection to serve as the group’s new chair, according to a news release from the group. Previously, she was the organization’s second vice chair and was a secretary before then.

“The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is a great cooperative effort among Chicago area municipalities,” Rotering said. “And, while each of the member towns has its own priorities to address, we come together as a group to focus on matters that affect the entire area from a regional perspective.”

The Mayors Caucus, which was founded in 1997, discusses public policy affecting the region, which comprises more than 9 million residents.

Rotering, an attorney, is in her fourth term — most recently re-elected in 2023 — as mayor of Highland Park. This is not the first position in regional leadership she has held. In 2021, she served as president of the Northwest Municipal Conference and has been a board member of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning since 2019.

“Mayor Rotering will be a wonderful asset for the Mayors Caucus,” said Neil James, executive director of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, in a statement. “She has extensive local government experience, a passion for the work, and a strong network of relationships throughout our region and the state as well as an impactful voice on the national and international stage.”

Joining Rotering as the caucus’s 2025 officers are: Mayor Brandon Johnson, City of Chicago, 1st vice chair; Mayor John Noak, Village of Romeoville, 2nd vice chair; Mayor Jeff Sherwin, City of Northlake, treasurer; Mayor Donald “Donny” Schmit, Village of Fox Lake, secretary; and Mayor Kevin Burns, City of Geneva, immediate past chair.

Byline Bank donates $25,000 to nonprofits in Chicago communities, including Winnetka

Byline Bank celebrated Giving Tuesday by donating a total of $25,000 to charitable organizations operating near branch locations in Chicagoland.

Local recipients included the Winnetka-Northfield Rotary Club.

“As a community bank with a deep focus on investing in the communities we serve, Byline Bank is committed to supporting the people, organizations and charities that help local neighborhoods thrive,” said Megan Biggam, executive vice president at Byline Bank, in a statement. “Giving Tuesday is an opportunity for us to live our values out loud and strengthen our community relationships within the diverse neighborhoods and municipalities where we operate.”

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