Meet The 2022-2023 EFBC Board of Directors
Meet your 2022-2023 Board of Directors! EFBC’s board establishes the organization’s strategic direction. Learn more about each position and board member below. As well as few of the reasons our newly assembled board members said they wanted to join EFBC Board of Directors.
President – Andy Sanghani
“I joined the board to be more involved and to engage with all members of the EFBC” – said Andy Sanghani, the President and 2nd generation owner of Systematics Inc. Since joining EFBC and Illuminati Forum in 2013, Andy has served as a Vice President, Forum Moderator, and participated on the Membership and Marketing Committee.
As President, Andy presides at board meetings, creates meeting agendas, appoints committees and committee chairs, serves as the primary contact for the board, as well as holding other board members accountable for attending meetings and participating. Andy said as a board member that, he hopes to use his position to make a positive impact that will enhance the experience for years to come. He is also looking forward to getting to know his fellow board members better as, they’re all amazing individuals.
Vice President – Dave Horvath
Dave Horvath is CEO/Co-Owner of DTE LLC, a remanufacturer of PowerTrain equipment for the Energy & Mining sector with 11 locations in the US. Dave joined the EFBC in 2007 as a member of the Inspiration Forum. Major reason for his desire to join the EFBC board is to help others experience the same benefits he had over the last 14 years with EFBC. He is currently a member of the Lighthouse Forum. He has served as Forum Chair, Treasurer and Governance Director.
As Vice President, Dave prepares to assume the position of President next year, and fulfills board chair duties when the President is absent. He assists the board chair in executing duties, and serves on committees to learn board operations. Dave plans on assisting Andy in growing the EFBC, Membership, content, and making EFBC a more diverse organization.
Past President – Neil O’Donnell
Neil O’Donnell is a Business Developer at Larson Equipment. He had worked in the family business – Progressive Industries, Inc for over 15 years. In 2007, Neil joined the EFBC and Tau Forum. He has been with the EFBC community for years, sharing with us that he wanted to join our board because he believes it was his time to give back and volunteer. Also, as a great time to step up, as EFBC was transitioning into a non-profit.
As Past President, Neil serves on the Governance Committee and aids in board succession. He said he’s looking forward to providing support to the Board, helping to facilitate the new Forum Pro level and other exciting enhancements that will support our current and future community.
Treasurer – Bill Angsten
Bill Angsten is the owner and President of two businesses in the manufacturing industry – Shopware and Midwest Power Products. In 2017, Bill joined the EFBC and spent over two years in Quantum Forum. I’ve learnt so much through shared experiences and new friendships from my time as a member of the EFBC, mentions Bill, I wanted an opportunity to pay it forward and grow this community. He has served as chair of the Emerging Leaders Committee, Moderator of his Forum and Education Director.
As Treasurer, Bill oversees bank accounts and financial statements, serves as finance committee chair, assists in preparing the annual budget, and reviews the annual audit to present it to the board. He looks forward to addressing the challenge of educating and empowering our community with rich content in a world where our members have scarce time and competing interests.
Governance Director – Darrin Shillair
I joined the EFBC originally to gain access to a support network of like-minded peers. I chose the EFBC over other peer group organizations due to their non-profit status and commitment to the emotionally intelligent meeting protocol. Darring is the current the President of Specialty Sales LLC. Darrin also added that he found the experience to be extremely valuable for himself and his business. And the core reason he wanted to join the board is to help grow the reach of the EFBC to more entrepreneurs.
As Governance Director, Darrin reviews Bylaws annually, ensures legal forms are filed on time, assures that documents are filed and accessible, oversees the Board calendar, and is responsible for board succession. He shared with EFBC that he’s looking forward to meeting more of the EFBC members and helping the organization grow it’s offerings and membership base.
Education Director – Alex Argianas
I enjoy being around other business leaders who are passionate about business. Regardless of the conversation, I walk away with unique and new perspective and I really believe and champion the EFBCs mission, vision, and approach to business. Alex is the Vice President and Corporate Liaison at Argianas & Associates, Inc. He joined the EFBC in 2017 as a member of Arete Forum, and is a current member of Nirvana Forum.
As Education Director, Alex oversees programming, emerging leaders, curriculum, and emeritus groups, addresses programming needs, creates curriculum around family business and entrepreneurship. Alex said he is excited to participate and continue to grow unique programming that represents and demonstrates why the EFBC is a one of a kind business group.
Membership Director – Patty Rioux
Forum Director – Dave Westerman
Dave Westerman is President and Owner of Carbit Paint Company, which was founded by his grandfather in Chicago in 1925. When was asked about why he wanted to join the EFBC Board, he said he has tremendous gratitude for the people that have led EFBC in the past. Though I will never be able to repay for the experiences that I have been given, I want to contribute to EFBCs future, however I can. Dave is a member of Lighthouse Forum.
As Forum Director, Dave oversees Forum health, chairs the Protocol Committee, and addresses issues around Forum participation, process, and management. He shared his excitement to work with the newly assembled board. Dave believes that board members are passionate about the organization and willing to work hard for its betterment, and downright smart.
Strategic Partners Director – Mary Beth McLean
Mary Beth, Senior Advisor, CFP®, MBA at Private Vista, LLC, shared that she’s excited to be a part of the EFBC board to strengthen her commitment to the organization and learn how to help it grow. She devotes much of her current practice working with women, often in transition, to take control of their financial matters. Mary Beth has been a strategic partner of the EFBC since 2019.
As Strategic Partner Director, she chairs the Strategic Partner Committee and is responsible for recruitment, engagement, and retention of the Strategic Partners. Mary expressed: “I look forward to deepening my relationship with both the members and other strategic partners”
DePaul University – Bruce Leech
Bruce Leech leads the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul which helps students and alumni develop their entrepreneurial skills, launch and grow ventures, and network with Chicago’s vibrant entrepreneur community. As a faculty member, he teaches courses in strategic entrepreneurship and business plan development. An experienced entrepreneur, Leech is the founder of CrossCom National, an information technology data/voice company, and co-founder of Evolve USA, a membership organization for business owners. He has been inducted into the Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.