Mariam Khoury Briggs

I have had an appreciation for art for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are wrapped up in crayon boxes and stacks of white paper just waiting to be colored on. Today, not much has changed. I still feel the energy of that little girl who used to sit and draw for hours without end, in hopes her creations would make the refrigerator door. This hobby turned into my college major and ultimately into my career. Admittedly, I enjoy dabbling in many genres of art: furniture refinishing, murals, portraits, and wall décor. However, I have recently concentrated on smaller scale pieces, such as portrait work and illustration. My passion for exploring these mediums, coupled with a love for all things art, continually stimulate and shape my creativity. It is an expression of everything that I am, everything I was, and everything I will become.

Mariam Khoury Briggs is a 2002 graduate of the University of Iowa, where she majored in Studio Art and Communication Studies. Her career as an artist began by painting nursery room murals, and she has been building an extensive portfolio for 15+ years. Mariam is a freelance artist who works from her home studio, where she resides with her husband and three children.

Instagram: @yellowbrick_creativestudio
Facebook: Yellow Brick(http://facebook.com/ybrickart)

Molly Crusen Bishop

Molly grew up in Peoria’s historic West Bluff. The humble blue house she called ‘home’ was built in 1885 by her great grandparents, Patrick and Ellen McGowan Needham, who were poor Irish immigrants. They left County Leitrim, Ireland, in the late 1860s seeking job opportunities in the United States, and settled in Peoria, Illinois. Patrick worked for the Rock Island Railroad as a clerk, and Ellen was said to have walked all over the West Bluff raising funds to help build Saint Mark’s Church. Molly was the fourth generation to be raised in this home, which is still standing on Barker Avenue. Growing up in a historic district, and surrounded by beautiful mansions and darling cottages, Molly developed a passion for history and an appreciation for historic architecture. This also shaped her love for researching and discovering the stories of our ancestors, and becoming a story teller for these “Tales from the Whiskey City.”

Jenny Witt

Jenny Witt is a Certified Montessori Infant Toddler Teacher, a Certified Early Childhood and Primary Teacher, a Director of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, and has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

Anne Schutt, MBA

Associate Lead Advisor, Waite Financial Group

Jenn Chambers

Jenn Chambers is a Peoria transplant. Born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, she graduated from Florida State University with degrees in International Affairs, Urban and Regional Planning, and Economics. After college, she drafted and designed at Florida Landscape Architecture Firm from 2005 to 2010, learning under one of the leading landscape architects in South Florida. She discovered a deep love for plants and plant design during this time. In 2010 she moved to Peoria and in 2012 began working at Caterpillar in Peoria. In 2018she stepped into the family business, Chambers & Sons Landscaping. Jenn is currently working toward her Master Gardener’s certification through the University of Illinois Extension Office.

Theresa Mosley

Theresa Mosley completed the International Decorating and Design course at QC Design School and now owns and operates an interior decorating and design business, the Refined Cottage. She has a passion for decorating and improving homes, and works with clients to create a comfortable, functional, inviting space for them to come home to. Her goal is that her client’s enjoy being at home, love their uniquely designed space, and in return love their day-to-day life. She currently serves clients throughout Bloomington/Normal and the surrounding area.

Diane Dunniway

Diane Dunniway, DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC, Certified Fertility Care Medical Consultant

Diane Dunniway has almost twenty years of experience as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. During her Doctorate of Nursing Practice program through UIC, she studied hormones and Creighton Model Fertility Care. Certification also in Functional Medicine enables her to look at the root causes of disease. She evaluates and treats all kinds of hormonal issues as well as infertility, and looks at the impact of gut health, thyroid, adrenals, and hormones on overall health. Since Diane and her husband now travel full-time in their RV, you can see her via ZOOM at MyCatholicDoctor.com. She is licensed in both Illinois and Florida.