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Oak Brook woman makes time for everything
Lina Shah is active in several areas of Oak Brook life.
Updated: April 1, 2013 2:03AM
OAK BROOK — Lina Shah swears she finds some time to sleep. The native of Wimbledon, England, moved from Arlington Heights to Oak Brook in 2003 and has continued to volunteer with various organizations along with working a full-time job as a real estate agent and, along with her husband, raising two sons, now 18 and 22. Shah serves on Oak Brook’s Residential Enhancement Committee, a group looking to find ways to attract more young families to the village. She also is president of the Oak Brook Women’s Club and a member of the Oak Brook Area Chamber of Commerce.
Q. Did you have any idea you would be so involved when you moved to Oak Brook?
A. No. I never really thought about it that way. I didn’t plan to get involved in all of these things, but I’m someone who likes to give back to the community where I live. I just have gotten involved in things to help be a part of the community. I was involved in the PTOs when my children were in school.
Q. Why did you move to Oak Brook?
A. I’ve been connected to Oak Brook since before we moved here through people I know. I think it’s a great community with great schools. Oak Brook is very safe, and it has a great sense of community.
Q. How did you become involved with the village’s Residential Enhancement Committee?
A. I was asked to be a part of it, and as a real estate agent, it’s what I do. I think it’s important to look for ways to bring more young families here. That is part of what I do in my job, and I love my job. I don’t really consider my job work. I do take it personally when I am working with someone to buy or sell a house.
Q. How long have you been a member of the Oak Brook Women’s Club?
A. About six years. I wasn’t really active for the first few years, but I got more involved and think it’s a wonderful group. It’s a very unique group that is based on friendship. It’s about social interaction and philanthropy. We provide social interaction for women in Oak Brook, and it’s a great place for new residents to come and make new friends. We also have an annual fundraiser in April and donate to various groups in the village, such as the park district, police and fire departments.
Q. What’s your vision for the future of the Oak Brook Women’s Club?
A. I really believe it’s a very important group. It’s been around since 1964 and used to have more than 800 members. We have about 450 now, and I’d love to see that grow again. I think there’s a perception that it’s a group for older people, but it’s really for all women who live in Oak Brook.
Q. What’s your secret to being able to balance a full-time job with family and all of the activities in which you have been involved?
A. You have to be organized; that’s very important. I really have a passion for everything I do. I sometimes send my clients emails at 4 a.m. I make sure I find time for everything because it’s all important to me.
