Patch Portrait: Pioneer of the Chicago Tanning Salon Scene

This week's Patch Portraits was produced and edited by Sara Fay, Phillip Downie, Jacob Nelson, Joanna Schneider and Allison Williams. Check back on Mondays for the next installment.

Also showcased are Glenview's parenting scribe and Highland Park's politician of the people.

Terry Dason has seen a lot of business in her life. From a dog kennel her parents ran while she was a child, to the odd jobs that put her college, to corporate jobs, to opening her own tanning salon (Chicago's first), to managing her childrens' modeling careers -- it makes sense that Dason is the executive director of the Winnetka-Northfield Chamber of Commerce.

"I'm giving back, and that's what I like best," Dason said.

In this Patch Portrait, Dason talks about her journey pioneering the tanning industry in Chicago. Her salon opened in Boys Town in 1982, witnessed the AIDS crisis first-hand, and closed in 1994.