Emily Hartzog, 31

By Paul Anthony Arco

It would take a lot for some people to leave behind the beauty and warm weather of southern California for the sometimes harsh winters of the Midwest. But that’s what Emily Hartzog did when she left her hometown of San Diego to attend Rockford College in 1994.

The 31-year-old Hartzog, whose mother is from Rockford, thoroughly enjoys her new surroundings. “I love the Midwest pace and feel,” she says. So much so, that after earning her undergraduate degree and MBA in 2001, Hartzog decided to stay. And her parents moved back as well to open a bed and breakfast.

Following college, Hartzog worked as a marketing specialist for SupplyCore, Inc., before joining the Rockford Public Library as community relations officer.

Hartzog creates the library’s marketing plan, oversees media strategies and helps coordinate special events like the Summer Reading Club; One Book, One Rockford, and Battle of the Bands. Hartzog, who is married, also loves to sing and dance. She is co-owner, performer and instructor of the Aloha Hula Girls Polynesian Performance Group, a Polynesian dance group comprised of local women with “aloha.”The troupe performs at corporate events, birthday parties, weddings and festivals such as On the Waterfront, and provides lessons.

A tireless volunteer, Hartzog has lent a hand to a variety of organizations including The Literacy Council, Girl Scouts of Rock River Valley, Burpee Museum, and Discovery Center. She is on the River District Association board of directors and will become president in 2009.

“I’ve been given more opportunities because I live here,” she says. “I couldn’t own my own business or serve these organizations at the same level elsewhere. People can get involved, whether they’re under 40 or over 40.”