October 19, 2005

Contact: Lisa Jones
La Rabida Public Relations
773.363.6700 ext. 381

Fred Berglund and Fred Walz elected to La Rabida Children’s Hospital Board of Trustees

CHICAGO – Fred Berglund, President of Berglund Construction Company, and Fred K. Walz, CPA, Partner and Chief Financial Officer at Grant Thornton, have been elected to La Rabida Children’s Hospital Board of Trustees. Berglund and Walz begin a three-year term on the Hospital’s Board. 

Berglund began serving as President of Berglund Construction Company, a family-owned Chicago area General Contractor currently celebrating over 90 years in business, in 1995. Berglund, one of the largest and most diverse construction companies in the Chicagoland area, maintains a prominent professional presence as a General Contractor, Construction Manager and Design Builder within the City of Chicago, surrounding counties and Northwest Indiana. Currently, Berglund is ranked 162 among Chicago Crain Business Journals 262 largest held privately owned companies.

Berglund has been a champion for children in Chicago and in NW Indiana. He has been a long-time supporter of La Rabida where he has been a member of the Hospital’s Business Council. Additionally, he is the past chairman of the Epilepsy Foundation’s Golf Around Chicago event and is actively involved in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in NW Indiana. He is also a member of the Associated General Contractors of America and Past President of the Chicago Building Congress.

Walz has dedicated his life to Grant Thornton. He began as a staff auditor in 1969 and was admitted to the partnership in 1981. He served as Partner-in-Charge of Professional Standards of Grant Thornton’s Chicago office throughout much of his career and was a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee from 2000-2003. Walz currently serves on the Senior Leadership Team for the Firm and is responsible for its finance and accounting function.

Walz is an active civic leader as he currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs. He also was a member of the Board of Directors for the Greater Chicago Council of National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse (1985-1993), as well as Child Abuse Prevention Services (1994-1998). Additionally, Walz is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois Certified Public Accountants Society.

La Rabida Children's Hospital is the only pediatric hospital in Chicago that provides comprehensive care for children who have lifelong medical conditions and developmental disabilities. La Rabida also provides the most extensive hospital-based program for neglected and abused children in Illinois. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan in Jackson Park, La Rabida has been caring for children for over 100 years.