Gregory J. Barry is an attorney at Zukowski, Rogers, Flood & McArdle (ZRFM). He focuses his practice on elder law, wills and trusts, intellectual property and real estate. As an elder law practitioner, he focuses on helping seniors and their families navigate the complex web of regulations, medical decisions and financial considerations of the retirement years. His elder law practice includes:
Qualifying seniors and disabled adults for Medicaid and other benefit
Managing long-term care options
Planning for incapacity
Estate planning and probate administration
Barry advises business clients on intellectual property issues, from copyright enforcement to trademark registration. He assists homeowners and condominium associations on covenant enforcement, collection of assessments, and other litigation matters. He also practices municipal law, working with local governments on annexation and disconnection proceedings, eminent domain litigation, land use and zoning issues.

Greg also serves as McHenry County’s Public Guardian and Public Administrator, following his appointment by the Governor on October 18, 2019. As Public Guardian, he serves as the court-appointed guardian for adults with disabilities in our community who have nobody else to help them with their personal and financial well-being, to avoid them becoming a ward of the state, if possible. As the Public Administrator, he is responsible for overseeing and administering probate estates in our county when no family member is able to serve as the executor, so that the estate is not run by creditors.

A resident of Woodstock, Greg was born in Connecticut. He graduated from high school in Toronto before attending the University of Notre Dame and earning his law degree from the University of Texas. He enjoys genealogical research and reading about history, and he is an avid card and game player.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
McHenry County Task Force on Aging, McHenry County Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, American Bar Association

Theresa Coomer is a master educator with over a decade teaching, caregiver to her wounded warrior partner, and the Illinois Fellow for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. Theresa and Marcus are the parents of two young children, Timothy (2) and Violet (1). Theresa and Marcus met in 2008, a year after Marcus was medically discharged from the Army. While in service Marcus had broken his back, luckily just the bones and not the spinal cord,and sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury in an explosion while driving his tank in Samara, Iraq. After his separation from service, Marcus was diagnosed with severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Theresa has helped Marcus with his daily activities including cooking, cleaning, scheduling appointments, accompanying him to appointments, monitoring medications, and advocating for him at the VA due Marcus’s anxiety and memory issues. Together, Theresa and Marcus have overcome many obstacles that have arisen from his wounds of war including drug addictions and suicide attempts.

Jane joined the VAC in September of 2008 as the Administrative Specialist before becoming a Veteran Service Officer in January of 2010. She is the spouse of a US Navy veteran, mother of four boys (two of them currently serving in the US Air Force) and blessed with seven (so far) grandchildren. Jane is certified and accredited by the VA to assist veterans and their family with all VA paperwork to obtain any and all benefits possible. It is an honor to serve those that have served us so well!

Michael Iwanicki served honorably in the US Navy. After earning his degree in Management and Economics he began his career in Retail Management and Customer Service. In 1998 Mike was offered a position with the Veterans Assistance Commission and was elected to the position of Superintendent by the county’s veterans service organizations in 2003. Working with the Commission the VAC’s mission was redefined to include prioritizing assisting veterans and their families with the presentation and prosecution of VA claims. Michael shares his knowledge of working with the VA to help train other Veterans Service Officers as well as the public. Michael had served 6 years as President of the Illinois Association of County Veterans Assistance Commissions, and is currently serving as President of the Illinois Association of County Officials. He lives with his wife Stacy their 2 dogs and 2 cats. When not helping veterans and their families he enjoys gardening, beekeeping, and cooking.

Chris Petrik comes to Elderwerks with over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. From bedside nursing to education, Chris brings a cross section of experience. As past adjunct faculty at a local community college, Chris helped develop and implement curriculum. Holding positions of Director of Staff education and Resident wellness, Chris soon learned her passion surrounded the arena of education of Dementia, and became a certified dementia educator so that staff could learn about the disease, leading to a more positive interactions between staff and the person living with dementia

Chris is also available for various onsite and offsite trainings related to IDPR regulations as well as other relevant topics related to senior living.

For over 17 years, Jennifer Prell, President of Elderwerks Educational Services, has been an expert in senior housing, care and the transitioning of older adults. She helps facilitate services and new living arrangements for seniors. Through education Jennifer believes we can better prepare for aging and avoid crisis’s that can occur. She is a Board member of CHUG (Collaborative Healthcare Urgency Group), Vice President of Continuity of Care McHenry/Lake, Board member of the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce, Board Member of the Palatine Chamber of Commerce, member of the McHenry County Task Force on Aging and a member of many other groups supporting older adults in Illinois.

Jennifer is also the founder and president of Paxem, Inc. an A+ Accredited Senior Move Management company that helps seniors and families through the sorting, right-sizing and moving process.

Sarah has lived, worked, and volunteered in the McHenry County area her entire life however it was not until 2010 when both her brother and elderly mother fell ill that she was introduced to the term “caregiver” and all the challenges that came along with it. Through both personal experience and her 20 years of working and volunteering in nonprofit management, Sarah was a perfect fit for Senior Care Volunteer Network (SCVN) when the organization was searching for a new Volunteer Program Director in 2014. After a year in that role, Sarah was promoted to Executive Director of SCVN which is the role she still holds today.

Connecting people to community resources available to seniors and their families can be a daunting task when considering the unique challenges each family may be facing; especially the past 14 months. Sarah will introduce some local resources available to seniors, families, and caregivers that we hope will provide some direction for those needing a place to begin without being so overwhelmed. Sarah would like to remind folks that even when people are lost, they are never truly alone if you know there is someone to listen and hear them.

Randall L. Tyner is an Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Military and Veterans Rights Bureau in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, where he works to ensure that Illinois’ service members and veterans, and their families, receive the benefits, rights and protections they have earned by serving our great nation. He is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, having earned his Juris Doctorate in May 2001. Mr. Tyner received a B.A. in Political Science from Loyola University Chicago, summa cum laude, in May 1998. He is currently a member of the American Bar Association (ABA), the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) and the Cook County Bar Association (CCBA). Mr. Tyner is currently a member of the ISBA Standing Committee on Military Affairs.

Mr. Tyner is a former Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney, having retired from that office in May of 2017 after nearly sixteen years of service as a prosecutor in the Criminal Division.

Mr. Tyner is a retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant, having served more than twenty years in a variety of fields and specialties including aircraft maintenance, recruiting and as a Marine Security Guard Detachment Commander.

Mr. Tyner is a Life Member of Disabled American Veterans (DAV). He is a Life Member of the Marine Corps League, currently belonging to the Chicago Police Marines Chapter. He is also a member of the American Legion, and is a Past Commander of the American Legion’s 2nd District of Chicago.

Melissa Wick is an Elder Law Attorney with more than 25 years of experience. Melissa concentrates her practice in advising clients and their families on how to protect their hard earned life savings from the devastating costs of long term health care needs. She focuses on Estate Planning, including Medicaid applications, VA Aid & Attendance, guardianship and other Elder Law issues.