(Brittany Photo Designs)
The Better Business Bureau of Chicago & Northern Illinois (BBB) is honored to announce this year’s award honorees and new board members activated at its 99th Anniversary Dinner event held on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at the Hilton Chicago on Michigan Avenue. With hundreds of business leaders and their guests attending, the event featured a keynote address on motivation, teamwork, and savoring every moment in your life by Chicago Bears legend Dan Hampton. Hampton, a Hall of Fame player and a key member of the 1985 Superbowl Champions, drew an extended standing ovation after his comments.
The event also included the addition of several top business leaders to the Board of Directors. In alphabetical order, they are:
Aaron Brotherton – VP of Marketing and Patient Success, Beltone
Michael Morgan – VP of Finance, Bally’s Chicago
Roberto Ramirez – CEO, Hispanic Public Media | Hispanic Public Media Foundation
Matthew Rose – SVP, Customer Experience, Rate Inc.
Distinguished awards that were presented include:
Torchbearer of the Year Award - Peter Grande
Presented to an individual, civic, or business leader in our community who has made significant efforts to promote ethical business practices and assist the BBB in spreading the concept of business self-regulation.
Peter Grande is a truly exceptional individual, a dedicated professional, and a pillar of his community. With an impressive 45-year career at State Farm, he has not only built a legacy of service and integrity. Beyond his professional achievements, he is a devoted husband to Dee, a retired elementary school teacher who now plays an active role in their State Farm office. Together, they have built a family rooted in love and dedication, raising two wonderful children, Peter Jr. and Suzanne, and being the proud grandparents of Olivia, Isabelle, and Maddie. His passion for helping others extends far beyond the workplace. Whether mentoring high school students, engaging the business community, supporting Special Olympics, or working with elementary schools to foster reading and writing programs, his commitment to making a difference is undeniable.
Diogenes Award for Excellence in Media - Daily Herald Newspaper
The Diogenes Award is presented to a media person or group that exemplifies the Better Business Bureau's goals and principles.
The award is named after the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes, who was said to have traveled the streets of Athens with a lantern, looking for an honest man. The 2025 award was given to one of the region's greatest newspapers...the Daily Herald, suburban Chicago’s source for news. The Daily Herald started in 1871 and was independently owned and run by four generations of the Paddock family. In 2018, the Paddock family sold its stake in the paper to its employees to ensure an outstanding localized news source. Accepting the award on behalf of the paper was Jim Slusher, Managing Editor for opinion with 47 years' experience as a writer and editor.
The James E. Baumhart Lifetime Achievement Award - Carlos Minetti
This award is named after Jim Baumhart who served the Better Business Bureau for more than 42 years and recognizes someone who has made an outstanding contribution in support of BBB’s mission.
Carlos Minetti is the Vice Chair of the BBB Board and is a seasoned senior executive with over 35 years of experience in financial services. Carlos was a BBB Chair for four terms.
Currently at Stripe Inc., he has also held senior executive roles leading thousands of employees at Discover Financial Services and American Express. Since 2007, Carlos has been an active member of the BBB Board and currently serves as a Director at Trustmark Mutual Holding Company and Oportun Financial Corporation.
In his free time, he enjoys spending quality moments with his family, who have been his greatest inspiration.
“All of our award recipients exemplify the goals and principles of the Better Business Bureau to support and foster an ethical marketplace benefiting both consumers and businesses,” says Steve J. Bernas, president & CEO of the BBB.
PNC Bank was the Presenting Sponsor for this year’s annual event, and this year’s Chairperson’s Reception Sponsor was The Inland Real Estate Group, LLC. This year’s gold sponsors were Discover Financial Services and Fox Valley Auto Group.