Biography: Nadine A. Kawalek

Nadine Kawalek lived in La Grange Park until 1974 when she graduated from Lyons Township High School. She continued her education at Southern Methodist University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. During that time she was the recipient of the George F. Baker Trust Honorary Business Scholarship (1976), a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma social sorority, and involved in the university gymnastics program. She went on to coach gymnastics privately, and in 1980 was a member of the Texas Women's Gymnastics Judges Association.

Nadine remained in Dallas where she began her career as a marketing manager for a software company. In 1988, she moved to San Francisco where she founded a business-to-business software and publishing company. The Kawalek Corp. grew to a 26-person company that was named one of the fastest growing women-owned businesses in San Francisco Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times.

Spurred by her own love of art and music, Nadine participated on many boards in the San Francisco area. She was active on the Symphonix Board of the San Francisco Symphony, where she also was the chair of the 1996 opening night gala. She was a board member of the Bravo of the San Francisco Opera. She also served on committees for the San Francisco Ballet and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Nadine's short life ended on June 9, 1998.

Because of her love of all the arts, the Kawalek Family has created the Nadine's Festival of the Arts, knowing that this would have pleased her.