Elevating children, the community and the world through the power and grace of Irish dance.
TBC MISSION STATEMENT
"We are an organization of parents committed to providing and supporting activities that enhance the Irish Dancing experience for our children, teachers, and families of Trinity. Through communication, coordination, and team building, we consistently support the Trinity teaching staff's unique mission."
Booster Club Staff
Anne Leonard
Booster Club Manager
Booster Club Board
Dustin Baker
Dustin Baker and his wife Denise have been involved with Trinity since 2017 since their daughter Ashlynn had started dancing out of Palatine. Dustin has been involved in parade planning for Palatine since 2018 as well as EmCee for various events. He currently helps in graphic design for Trinity Wear as well as new branding for the Trinity Dance Academy. As a new member to the Booster Club, Dustin is excited to help bring the Trinity Irish Dance name to new heights. Outside of Trinity, Dustin works in marketing as well as a freelance illustrator.
Carie Lukes
The Lukes have been a Trinity family since 2001. They have four kids, three who have danced with Trinity. Their oldest daughter, Teigan, started as a “tot” with Miss Deirdre and danced through her senior year in high school. She was also part of Trinity II (now Ensemble) and had the opportunity to travel to Spain. Fiona, their second, also started as “tot” with Miss Patti and danced through 8th grade. Cavan, our third, enjoys travel baseball, cross country, football, and wrestling. Orla, our youngest, started dancing with Trinity in 2020, just before starting kindergarten. It has been wonderful to be back, seeing lots of familiar faces who are now all grown up, teaching, and working in our program.
Carie and her family have been involved in both the Academy and Booster club in various ways. Carie was the Co-Chair for Trinity’s “Let’s Dance” at Navy Pier in 2007, the TLC (Trinity Location Council) chair and volunteer coordinator for our Arlington Heights and IAHC locations, dress sale volunteer, shoe bin coordinator, hospitality volunteer, team mom, and Camp Lake dance party co-planner. In between, has helped & volunteered at many St. Patrick’s Day festivities, Feisiannas, and Oireachtas.
Jen McIlrath
Jen and her husband, Jim, have been proud Trinity parents for more than a decade. Their daughters, Ainsley and Fiona, both began dancing at the age of three. While Ainsley has since retired from competition, she continues to give back by volunteering with Trinity. Fiona is now in her ninth year of Irish dance and remains dedicated to the art and community that have shaped her journey.
Professionally, [Name] serves as the Chief Nursing Officer for Transitions Hospice. She often says that being a nurse is the best job in the world—second only to being a mom. Her dual roles as healthcare leader and parent reflect her deep commitment to caring for others and supporting the Trinity community.
Carrie Bresette
Carrie and her husband, Robin, joined the Trinity family in 2021 when their daughter, Emberly, began dancing at the age of three. Emberly quickly discovered a love for Irish dance, earning her solo dress and competing at her first Oireachtas by age six. Whether performing with TPT, competing at Feiseanna, or dancing with Team Trinity, she enthusiastically embraces every opportunity—often declaring, “Irish dance is the life.” Carrie and Robin’s older daughter, Alyssa, is equally dedicated to her own pursuits in soccer and cross-country.
Carrie’s volunteer involvement with Trinity began as a sound engineer for TPT shows and has since expanded to include roles such as shoe bin coordinator, location mentor, hospitality volunteer, Feis stage monitor, and Team Mom. She finds great joy in supporting the dancers, families, and staff who make Trinity such a unique and welcoming community.
Outside of Trinity, Carrie works as an Administration Coordinator and devotes much of her free time to her daughters’ activities. As a member of the Trinity Booster Club, she values the chance to give back and support the dancers, families, and staff who make Trinity special.
Tricia McAdams
Tricia and her husband Tim have been Trinity Parents since
2019 when their daughter Samantha began dancing out of the
Third Ward studio. They share another daughter Allyson who
has yet to get the bug for Irish Dancing and instead enjoys
soccer and karate. Tricia’s first involvement in Trinity came
early-on helping as a Backstage Mom at some of Samantha’s
first feiseanna. Most recently, she volunteered as Hospitality
Chair and then as Co-Chair for the Wisconsin Spring Feis. At the
encouragement of other TBC members, Tricia joined the board
in 2022. Tricia’s history is in event management and hospitality
with an emphasis on creating a world-class client experience.
Her passions and personal values align very closely with
Trinity’s mission of elevating and supporting others to help
them realize their potential. Tricia is excited and honored to be
entrusted with helping guide the future of Trinity’s dancers and
their families.
Karen Miller
Jeff Conway
Liten, Tracy and I have been involved with Trinity for 10+ years. It has been an amazing journey for our family filled with friendships and centered around the common love for Irish Dance - an amazing sport and art form.
Liten started her Trinity career at the Lakeview location then moved to IAHC for county classes because it was closer to home. About 5 years ago, Liten advanced into Provence and has been dancing out of Elmhurst ever since, except for during TPT season, where IAHC is still our home. In addition to solos, teams and choreography, Liten enjoys drills younger dancers and also absolutely LOVES preforming with Ensemble.
Like so many who have come before, Liten’s journey with Trinity has helped shape her into a strong, confident and resilient young woman, and the friendships and bonds she has formed along the way are truly special.
Tracy and I have volunteered over the years at Pat Roach and Spring Feis. You can often find Tracy assisting with tabulation and me helping with building and tearing down stages. I joined the Booster Club Board in late 2023.
Michael McHugh
I have been on the board since 2020. My wife, Kristen, and I have two dancers, Madeline (12) and Kasia (10) out of the Lakeview and Elmhurst locations. Our family currently live in Chicago, and our daughters attend a local parish school. We were introduced to Trinity in 2017 when the dancers performed during St Patrick’s Day at my daughter’s school, and we have not looked back. We were, and continue to be, drawn to Trinity not only for the dance but also the characteristics and empowerment the academy employs into every dancer as well as the community of parents, teachers, and dancers. My hope as a board member is to generate the enthusiasm for performances and opportunities to come together as a community.
Erica Minella
My family and I have been with Trinity for 3 years. Since then it’s felt like home. I enjoy giving my time back to others. Trinity is a special place and I’m passionate about helping to make it the best dance school around. This is my 2nd year as Co-chairman for Winter Weekend. My previous experience includes being the Treasurer and Membership Chairman for the Naperville Juniors Woman’s Club.
Melissa Ohlquist-Meeks
Melissa and her husband, Josh, have twin daughters, Greer & Elliot, who dance at the Elmhurst location. Her daughters began their Trinity dance journey in 2017 at the Village Club in Western Springs. Melissa has extensive experience advocating and working with children. She was formerly an Attorney and Guardian ad Litem for children who were in Illinois DCFS care at the Cook County Public Guardian's Office. Melissa and her family truly believe that Trinity is a special place that gives children the opportunity to grow and succeed, while making friends and having fun in the process. Melissa has been a TBC Board member since 2022. She looks forward to continuing to contribute to Trinity's mission as a member of The Booster Club Board.
Joe Pitterle
Joe Pitterle joined the Trinity board in 2022. He and his wife Karen have 2 children, their son Jake who told them "some boys dance, this boy does not", and their daughter Bella who started Irish dancing thru a local park and rec program at age 4. Initially starting in county levels, Bella has recently moved to the province program. She LOVES seeing her friends each and every week. She enjoys not just competing as a soloist and on Team Trinity, but the performance aspects. At a young age she has gained confidence by dancing on some of the biggest stages in the area, including Fiserv Forum, the St Patrick’s Day Season and of course Irish Fest. Joe's exposure to Trinity initially started with a cousin who danced for Trinity in the 90s-00s, and was accelerated when a colleague of his was also heavily involved in Trinity. Joe is a Wealth Management Advisor for Northwestern Mutual, based in SE Wisconsin. He, Karen, the kids and their new doggie Kinzie (an adorable Golden Retriever) live in New Berlin. As a member of the TBC Joe is excited to work for the benefit of the dancers, the families, and the community. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. Let’s do this together!
Therese Plunkett-O'Brien
Therese Plunkett-O’Brien has been a Trinity parent for over 10 years. She has been a TBC board member for 4 years. She is the proud mom of two trinity dancers, Gabby and Maddie. Her Trinity experience started at the Lakeview location when Gabby was 4 years old and her little sister Maddie soon followed in her big sister's footsteps. The girls currently dance at the IAHC. The Trinity friendships formed over the years are those that will last a lifetime. Outside of being a Trinity mom she works as an assistant principal. She has always felt very honored to be given the opportunity to work with and support young people. As a TBC board member her goal is to support the Trinity Irish dancers and their families.
Lauren Smith
Lauren Smith is deeply committed to helping children realize their full potential. She holds a degree in Secondary Education from DePaul University and a Master’s in Mathematics. Lauren spent many years teaching all levels of mathematics at Oak Park and River Forest High School and now runs her own standardized test prep and tutoring business.
Lauren and her family have been involved with Trinity since 1998, and she brings a rich, long-term perspective to the board. She lives in Western Springs with her husband, Joe Smith, a former TIDC member, competitive dancer and long time Trinity instructor. Their daughters, CC (14) and Tessa (11), have participated in the full Trinity experience (TPT, County, Province and Teams). CC, while no longer dancing, is passionate about theater and performance, channeling the discipline and confidence she gained through years of Irish dance. Tessa continues to work hard and shine in the competitive dance world, earning international accolades and ranking among the top in her age group.
Lauren’s experience as a parent, educator, and long-time Trinity supporter makes her a thoughtful and passionate advocate for the Trinity community.