In honor of Ilene’s (impending) 50th birthday on Friday, I asked the InLine crew to help me come up with 50 reasons that Ilene is fabulous and what makes her a STAR! Not only does this list give our readers’ insight to Ilene’s personality, but probably also what a day in the life of a member of the ILM crew entails. Hope you enjoy!

1) She is the best office mom!
2) Ilene has been a true inspiration and mentor- she is how we all aspire to be with clients, co-workers, and everyone in her life!
3) Ilene is InLine’s very own ‘Queen’, reigns with a quiet brilliance.
4) No matter how busy she is, she always makes time to listen.
5) She says it like it is.
6) You always know where you stand with her.
7) She stays calm in a crisis.
She always figures out a way to make a bad situation better!
9) She helps out around the office in any way that she can.
10) She successfully juggles career and family.
11) She travels well- even calls in from the shower!
12) Ilene always makes you feel like you are the most important person she’s talked to all day!
13) She is humble and has a great sense of humor about herself!
14) I love the jokes and pranks she plays on all of us.
15) No matter how bad her day is going, she always finds something to laugh at, or make a joke about.
16) Her laughter can be heard from California Street!
17) I love her smile and her good mornings to everyone.
18) Ilene’s smile often lights up the room, in both Spanish & English.
19) She is fair in business and tries to see things from both sides of the desk.
20) She has three teenagers and all are still alive!
21) She has the sweet spirit of encouragement!
22) Because of how clean her car is.
23) Her frustrations with riding public transportation! (Ask her about her run-in with the RTD person checking passes on the light rail!)
24) She always has pretzels at her desk.
25) Her diet coke addiction.
26) Her hair after a stressful day.
27) How she ALWAYS loses her glasses (sometimes on top of her head!)
28) How she thinks it’s totally acceptable for her youngest daughter to spend afternoons alone at Starbucks.
29) She’s the only person who drives to work and manages to lose her keys between parking and the office.
30) How her desk is normally about as organized as a child’s finger painting.
31) She refers to her parents as Judy & Harvey, even to her children.
32) I love how she treats us all like family.
33) I love how Ilene talks to each client- She sounds like she is talking to her best friend and makes them feel like they are the only client!
34) I love her intercom system… she talks to Ann & Scott in the back offices like they are sitting next to her.
35) She prefers to holler down the hallway rather than use her intercom.
36) She is old enough to remember some cheesy TV commercials: ‘Love that Bobcat’ for instance for the Mercury Cougar.
37) The way she interjects Yiddish terms into every form of conversation!
38) She has saved the day more times than Nancy cares to admit!
39) She willingly shared an office with Steve Sander and outlasted him.
40) Nancy will forever be grateful that she went from InLine’s first Go To Freelancer to Lieutenant General and often takes on 5-Star General!
41) Her college stories and how they sound more like dreams than actual events.
42) Her candy jar that is always full!
43) Her obvious love for firemen and young men at Sports Column.
44) The misspelled flier for the firemen auction on her office door.
45) The fact that she puts up with us teasing about her being a cougar! (Her kids would probably be SO embarrassed if they knew.)
46) She is a very accommodating hotel room roommate and a great travel companion.
47) Her rule that she is only allowed to drive and NEVER allowed to provide directions/navigation.
48) How silly she gets after ONE gin and tonic!
49) Her undying love for her dog, Jake (she always says he’s the only one who listens to her!)
50) Last but certainly not least, she honestly makes 50 look like the new 40!