Meet Our Instructors 

Officer Darren Baker has over 22 years experience working as a police officer. He spent 4 of those years supervising an undercover drug squad and has made hundreds of drug arrests. Officer Baker has been teaching drug education for nearly two decades. He has developed "Word on the Street" to teach parents, teachers, cops, fire fighters and other professionals on recognizing drugs, drug paraphernalia and the physical signs and symptoms of drug abuse. Officer Baker's programs reflect his experience as a police officer and his research as a trainer, writer and state certified instructor.

Barb Bancroft, RN, MSN, PNP is a widely acclaimed national speaker, noted for her humorous, entertaining and information packed seminars. She is author of the books Medical Minutiae, An Apple a Day—the ABCs of Diet and Disease and Live a Little, Laugh a Lot. Many people can conduct health seminars, or write books on health, but very few can make them both thoroughly informative and entertaining. Barb makes complex health topics easily understandable, appealing and hilarious. She has provided more than 2,000 educational and motivational seminars on clinical and health maintenance topics to healthcare professionals and corporations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Wayne Baranowski is a professional photographer and owner of Wayba Productions, LLC, specializing in event and commercial photography. Baranowski has more than 20 years of experience photographing the community, including serving as a photographer and photo editor for The Daily Journal newspaper. In addition, he has taught the popular introductory photography course for Corporate and Continuing Education for nearly 20 years.

Antonio Carrico is a District of Columbia registered and licensed naturopathic doctor and an Illinois licensed massage therapist. He teaches a series of natural approaches to pain and health maintenance seminars and owns American Bodywork Institute School of Natural Health Sciences in Bradley.

Kris Condon is a professor in Corporate and Continuing Education and the Business Division at KCC. Along with being a part-time instructor in Corporate & Continuing Education, Condon designs, develops, and delivers training curricula in computer applications, topics such as "Train the Trainer," and business/technical writing for corporate clients. She teaches on the KCC campus and at the work sites of corporate partners. Condon also coordinates customized training to prepare users for Microsoft Office Specialist (formerly "MOUS") certification examinations. Prior to KCC, Condon worked as a senior trainer at the American Medical Association in Chicago. She also worked in the legal field, as a deputy clerk of the Illinois Supreme Court and training coordinator with the Chicago-based law firm of Keck, Mahin & Cate.

Karen A. Duncan, M.A., LSW, LMFT has worked in the field of child sexual abuse for 28 years. Her work has included developing prevention, assessment and therapeutic programs based on best practices that recognize the gender-specific impact of child sexual abuse and sexual violence in adulthood. Duncan is a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Mental Health Counseling and serves on advisory boards of the Indiana Women’s Prison and Indiana Coalition against Sexual Assault. She is the author of “Healing from the Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse: The Journey for Women” published by Praeger Publishing. Her new book about female sex offenders is scheduled to be released this fall by Praeger Publishing. At the university level, Duncan has taught Women Studies, Human Sexuality, Abnormal Psychology and General Psychology. She currently teaches Human Sexuality and Introduction to Psychology at Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, Indiana. Duncan received the 2008 Outstanding Mental Health Professional Award from the Indiana Coalition Against Sexual Violence, and was named 2005 Social Worker of theYear for Region 7 of the National Association of Social Workers—Indiana Chapter. Duncan has a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Ball State University and studied at Elmhurst College receiving her B.A. in 1978.

L. Sue Durkin, a.k.a. Susie Sunshine, is an author and publisher, and a six-sensory, motivational author/speaker, as well as an intuitive consultant. Her first book, Life is Like Making Chocolate Chip Cookies, was published through Weaving Dreams Publishing. Her readers, clients, and friends are drawn to her as a personal and spiritual advisor for her loving and exuberant teaching style. Her unique expertise, enthusiasm, diversified background and lifestyle have combined to give her a different perspective on life's situations and solutions. With a goal of a more rewarding and charmed life for her readers, friends, and clients, Sue guides seekers through the self-exploratory process with her writing/publishing, workshops, and presentations, enjoying their discoveries of the benefits of making wiser and more soulful choices.

Judi Mack, M.A., president of Productivity Techniques, Inc., is an experienced consultant, facilitator and trainer. Her areas of expertise include communication marketing and customer service skills, management development skills and team building. She holds a master's degree from Governors State University in University Park, where she also has taught part-time. Mack has held management positions in healthcare, education, and print journalism and established Productivity Techniques, Inc. in 1993 to provide consulting and training services for businesses and non-profit organizations. Mack is a member of the Association for Pwsychological Type and the Grundy-Will chapter of SHR (Society for Human Resource Management).

Margaret Mead is an accredited residential manager with the Illinois Real Estate Management Association. She professionally managed four properties, totaling 600 rental units. Since retirement in 2002, Mead has been a consultant for subsidized properties and has taught this class at several central Illinois colleges.

Gary Paruszkiewicz and his family came to Kankakee from Detroit in 1980 as "Chef Garibaldi." Paruszkiewicz was a certified chef, member of the prestigious American Culinary Federation, and the "Chefs de Cuisine de Chicago." He was an executive chef and restaurant manager around the area, working at Mother McGee's in Bradley, Leo's On-the-River in Kankakee, the Public Landing in Lockport, the Little Corporal, and Mezzaluna in Kankakee until being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in the early 1990s. Paruszkiewicz returned to school and graduated from Governors State University with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a certificate in stress management education. He has developed wellness strategies and fitness programs based on Tai Chi and yoga, working with medical doctors, psychiatrists, physical therapists, neurologists, psychologists, Tai Chi masters, and yoga teachers. Paruszkiewicz wrote and published "Therapeutic Tai Chi, My Journey with Multiple Sclerosis, My Path with Tai Chi, " and also formed the DLC Media Group, which produces instructional videos of Tai Chi, Qi Gong and meditation.

Beth Randall is a Certified Professional Organizer®. She started her own business, Joe Organizer, in 2003. Beth helps people organize their closets, garages, bedrooms, kitchens, pantries, basements, businesses and more. She also is a Certified Relocation and Transition Specialist. She assists the senior market with home downsizing, moving and age-in-place home modification. Beth and her business have been featured on CBS News out of Chicago. Prior to starting her professional organizer business, Beth worked in corporate America for 18 years in the field of Information Systems where she managed many projects and many people simultaneously. Beth is a member of the Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).

Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC, is a member of the faculty of the Addictions Studies Program at Governors State University. He is owner of On the Mark Consulting, an international speaking and consulting organization. A partial list of clients includes Wisconsin Department of Corrections; Archdiocese of New York; Bank of Montreal; Harris Bank; U.S. Pobation; SAMHSA; The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment; United States Army, Navy, Airforce, and Marines; Johnson Institute; and Illinois Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. Mark is co-author of "Recovery Management", author of "Relationship Detox: How To Have Healthy Relationships in Recovery" and he has had two stories published in the New York Times book series, "Chicken Soup for the Soul."

Allan Smessaert’s gardening career began as many do, with a packet of marigold seeds at the age of 7. Once he witnessed the miracle of growth, he was hooked. In high school, he constructed a small propagation greenhouse, began experimenting with different propagation methods, and was soon holding “plant garage sales.” Over the years, Smessaert has worked in greenhouses, estates gardens, penthouse greenhouses, and has installed rooftop gardens in Chicago and New York City. He also has created store designs for Crate & Barrel and window displays for Neiman Marcus on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Smessaert has been recognized with multiple awards and been featured in national magazines, interior design books, multiple news publications and syndicated columns nationwide. He now is co-owner of Acorn Design Source on South McMullen Drive in Kankakee. His vision is to bring horticulture and style to the local marketplace at the retail level.

Deb Terrill is a degreed horticulturist and writer. She writes weekly food and garden columns for The Daily Journal and writes features and regional reports for Chicagoland Gardening magazine. Deb lives in Kankakee and loves to share her adventures in the garden and the kitchen.

Frank Yurasek, Ph.D., LAc., has been practicing acupuncture, Tai Chi and Qi Gong since 1985. He received a Ph.D. from the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine in 2001. He is a teacher for the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine and a visiting lecturer in China, where he most recently worked at the University of Bejing.Yurasek is especially interested in the health care of children, and he enjoys helping families facing the challenges of raising children affected by autism. He practices homeopathy and herbal medicine in addition to acupuncture, and is affiliated with the Family Medicine Healing Arts Center in Kankakee.