Gail Lorenzini was an educator, an entrepreneur and a enterprise proprietor who immersed herself into the neighborhood and took benefit of her diversified factors of contact to help space causes. Gail did almost all of this in partnership along with her husband, John, earlier than she died unexpectedly July 4 on the age of 71.
Gail and John Lorenzini created the College of Spa & Cosmetology Arts in 1978, three years after their first BJ Grand Salon opened in Springfield. They lately bought the salons however saved the cosmetology college.
BJ Grand Salon and Spa, often acknowledged as a finalist in Illinois Occasions’ annual Better of Springfield competitors, grew from the preliminary location to 9 salons and had 440 workers at one time, in line with John.
Through the years, USCA has graduated greater than 3,400 college students who turned licensed as cosmeticians, estheticians and, extra lately, barbers. With about 100 to 120 college students a yr at USCA, John credited Gail with rising the varsity by dealing with its administration, bookkeeping and monetary assist. Though the BJ salons began with hair styling, the enterprise expanded by recognizing a market want for different companies similar to facials, make-up, massages and extra.
Gail was nominated not as soon as, however 5 instances, for the celebrated Athena Management Award, which acknowledges people who actively help ladies achieve skilled excellence and management abilities. She received the Athena award in 2013, when it was nonetheless introduced by the Higher Springfield Chamber of Commerce. She and BJ Grand Salon remained lively supporters of the award course of when Athena transitioned from the chamber to the realm chapter of Illinois Girls in Management.
“All through her profession, she was all the time very supportive of ladies – serving to different ladies get to their highest potential,” stated Heather Burton, chair of IWIL’s Athena committee. “She actually exemplified what Athena means: neighborhood service, excellence of their profession and lifting different ladies up.”
Gail was a founding member of the native chapter of the Nationwide Affiliation of Girls Enterprise Homeowners, which later turned Girls Entrepreneurs of Central Illinois. She additionally partnered with the Only for You Salon on the Simmons Most cancers Institute and supplied furnishings for the personal area the place sufferers attempt on wigs.
John stated his spouse was obsessed with serving to Simmons with wigs, since many insurance coverage corporations wouldn’t pay for them, and Gail needed to supply the chair and shampoo and every part that an individual would wish. BJ Grand Salon additionally hosted a bra-designing fundraiser, which had originated with The Wardrobe, to lift cash to assist folks present process most cancers remedies in Springfield and Champaign. Individuals would beautify a white bra to inform a narrative, and BJ Grand Salon would put them on show and ask folks to make a contribution to vote for his or her favorites.
One other one in every of Gail’s passions, John stated, was Hope College, which educates, treats and cares for youngsters with autism spectrum problems and different developmental disabilities. Stylists and estheticians would help the scholars with their hair and make-up for the style present, and the scholars’ enthusiastic and grateful reactions thrilled the salon workers.
“We owe every part to the neighborhood, and we need to give again as a lot as potential and see the neighborhood develop,” John stated. “That is what makes Springfield so good – it is companies that help the neighborhood.”
John stated Gail would make a listing yearly of causes they’d help, then they’d work collectively to implement it. “It is one factor to say it; it is one other factor to truly do it,” John stated. “When she stated we will do it, (that meant) we will do it.”
John and Gail had been married for 53 years and had been enterprise companions most of that point, pooling their backgrounds in hair styling, barbering and enterprise. The couple have an grownup son and daughter. John stated their son, Nick Lorenzini, has a salon in St. Louis and their daughter, Lynne Lowder, works elsewhere in actual property and property administration. Additionally they have three grandchildren, which, John confirmed, are the perfect grandchildren on the earth.
Requested what she was most pleased with in her profession, John had a fast response. “I do know she was most pleased with the cosmetology college students that she watched are available in,” he stated. “A few of them didn’t have the best begin in life, and he or she would take them from there and persuade them to remain in class. She would persuade them that this is able to work – after which she would see them proudly owning salons and constructing a enterprise. (Some had been) single moms, and he or she was simply very pleased with all of the impartial ladies who got here out of the varsity and nonetheless reside in Springfield and the encircling communities.”
