Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) is proud to welcome Setna iO as a Platinum Level Corporate Champion, recognizing the company’s generous support and deep connection to the Highland Park-Highwood community.

“HPCF relies on the generosity and community spirit of our Corporate Champions to further our mission of addressing unmet needs in the Highland Park–Highwood community, as well as funding services and programs that enhance the community as a whole,” said Eric Ephraim, Vice-Chair of HPCF’s Board of Directors.

Business support is invaluable to the Foundation’s ability to improve the quality of life for residents—and we are most grateful for Setna iO’s contribution to advancing this important work.

“Corporate Champions demonstrate that the fabric of the community is elevated and strengthened by all kinds of support, particularly from the business sector,” said Jonathan Plotkin, HPCF Board Member. “Setna iO’s CEO, David Chaimovitz, has always been committed to making positive impact, whether it was stocking the vending machines he installed and serviced in college with healthy options or ensuring that his global business benefits his hometown,” he added. “It was important to him to ensure that his philanthropic involvement with the community be meaningful and substantial. From its roots, Setna iO is Highland Park-Highwood centric, and David sees it as his responsibility to do everything he reasonably can to help ensure this community continues to thrive.”

Left to Right: CEO David Chaimovitz, Co-Founder Jason Kozin, Partner & CCO Hunter Edens, and CFO Tommy DeGarmo

Founded in 2016 by David Chaimovitz and Jason Kozin, Setna iO is an aftermarket aircraft part supplier headquartered locally. The company buys and sells used aircraft parts and operates soon-to-be four FAA-certified certified Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities worldwide.

“The aftermarket is a specialized but vital part of the aviation industry, said Monica Najjar, Setna’s Culture Manager. “Every plane contains thousands of valuable parts, so it requires an in-depth knowledge of the aviation business. While niche in scope, it’s a global market with a large economic impact.”

With oaices in Miami, London, Tempe, and the Chicago area, Setna iO’s leadership team is strongly rooted in Highland Park. David and co-founder Jason Kozin both grew up in Highland Park and are currently building long-term homes here with their families. Partner and CCO Hunter Edens is a Highland Park resident, and CFO Tommy DeGarmo was also born and raised here.

“This is home for us,” Tommy shared. “We want to be involved in the community. We’re young families with young kids, and we want to make an impact—not only for them, but for our peers and our neighbors.”

David Chaimovitz

Monica added, “We wanted our philanthropic eaorts to have a more targeted approach. Even as a global company, we believe we can make the most meaningful impact by focusing our eaorts locally—and we’ve seen firsthand what HPCF has been able to do for the community.”

HPCF is honored to count Setna iO among our Platinum Level Corporate Champions. Their commitment to giving back to the community they call home helps ensure that individuals and families throughout Highland Park and Highwood receive the support and services they need.

If your business is interested in becoming a Corporate Champion, please contact Terri Olian, HPCF Executive Director, at terri@hpcfil.org, or Steve Schapiro, HPCF Director of Philanthropy, at steve@hpcfil.org.

Each year, Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) honors an individual whose dedication, leadership, and service have made a lasting impact on the Highland Park-Highwood community. Named for longtime public servant and community advocate Jack Blane, the award recognizes those who go above and beyond to strengthen the community and improve the lives of others. This year, HPCF is proud to honor Rhoda Pierce with the 2026 Jack Blane Community Service Award.

For more than five decades, Rhoda has devoted her time, talents, and leadership to civic engagement, education, the arts, and public service. A former educator and longtime Executive Director of the Illinois Arts Council, Rhoda spent more than 35 years advancing arts and culture throughout Illinois, building programs and partnerships that strengthened organizations across the state. Appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to serve as Chair of the Illinois Arts Council Board and now Vice Chair, she has championed the vital role the arts play in enriching lives and strengthening communities — reflecting a lifelong belief that education, the arts, and civic engagement are deeply intertwined and essential to vibrant communities.

Shortly before reflecting on receiving the 2026 Jack Blane Community Service Award, Rhoda visited a place that embodies much of that work. She stopped by the Dan Pierce Garden in downtown Highland Park, dedicated to her late husband, former Highland Park Mayor Dan Pierce. Maintained through the efforts of the Highland Park-Highwood Sister Cities Foundation, the garden stands as a symbol of partnership, civic engagement, and service — values that have guided Rhoda throughout her life.

“It’s absolutely beautiful,” she said. “It’s another wonderful collaboration among the city, Sister Cities, and so many people who care about this community. It makes me happy knowing it’s there and being able to spend time in the garden.”

For Rhoda, that sense of collaboration has shaped a lifetime of civic leadership. She has served as President of the Highland Park Library Board, chaired multiple civic commissions, and was the founding President of the Highland Park-Highwood Sister Cities Foundation. Today, she continues her public service as an elected Trustee of the North Shore Water Reclamation District, representing Highland Park, Highwood, and western Lake Forest.

For Rhoda, community has always been about bringing people together. “I feel that the more people who become involved in helping others, the better off we all are,” she said. “I’m drawn to people who are interested in serving the community, and I’ve been fortunate to meet so many people through that. The more people I can bring together to help and be involved, the happier I am.”

That ability to connect people and inspire collaboration is one of the qualities that has earned Rhoda the admiration of many throughout the community. “It is especially meaningful to celebrate Rhoda Pierce as she receives the Jack Blane Community Service Award,” said HPCF Board Member Alyssa Knobel, herself a past recipient of the honor. “Rhoda and I share a birthday, and I’ve always thought of her as my better twin, but more importantly, I have been fortunate to share in her friendship, guidance, and example over many years.”

Alyssa added, “While I received this award before Rhoda, I actually stand on her shoulders. Her dedication to others, her generosity of spirit, and her unwavering commitment to making our community stronger have inspired me and countless others.”

Rhoda continues to foster cultural connections through her work with Sister Cities and other civic partnerships. One recent example is a collaboration between the North Shore Water Reclamation District and water officials in Puerto Vallarta through Sister Cities, combining environmental stewardship, education, and international exchange.

Her commitment to service has also earned recognition from organizations including the YWCA, The Art Center Highland Park, and the City of Highland Park. She is a graduate of Lake Forest College and a longtime member of its Board of Trustees.

Despite her many accomplishments, Rhoda remains modest about her influence. “I honestly just go about my daily business,” she said with a laugh. “I’m involved in different projects with different people in this community. When people say they’re inspired by my leadership, I wonder, ‘How can that be?’ I’m just waking up in the morning and doing my thing.”

For Alyssa, however, Rhoda’s impact is clear. “Rhoda exemplifies what it means to embrace community,” she explained. “She shows up, brings people together, and quietly elevates everyone around her. She has set an extraordinarily high bar for service and leadership, and this honor reflects the profound impact she has had on our community and the many lives she has touched.”

Receiving the Jack Blane Community Service Award came as a surprise to Rhoda, who personally knew Jack and long admired his dedication to public service.

“First of all, it was an enormous surprise,” she said. “I knew Jack and always admired the work he did. To follow in his footsteps is really exciting and deeply meaningful to me.”

HPCF is proud to recognize Rhoda Pierce for her extraordinary commitment to service, collaborative leadership, and her enduring contributions to the Highland Park-Highwood community. Through decades of dedication, she has strengthened institutions, fostered meaningful connections, and inspired countless others to become active participants in the communities they call home.

Please join us in honoring Rhoda on Friday, July 31, at The Art Center Highland Park. The celebration will take place from 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM. Kindly RSVP by July 23 online at: https://bit.ly/4uBFOql or to Terri Olian, terri@hpcfil.org, 847-433-4100. There is no cost to attend.