Our Owners

For most of her adult life, Judith has been associated in some way with children and their care. At the age of fifteen, she began working at the Adler School in Chicago (then named the Bluebird School). In 1974, she founded a small storefront child care center in Buffalo Grove, Illinois named Minee Subee in honor of her own children (Michele, Neal, Susan, and Beth). Minee Subee was originally licensed for a capacity of 45 children. Judith now owns four facilities and is responsible for over 700 children.

Judith has always been innovative in the industry by recognizing needs and then designing programs to fit those needs. When infant care was almost unheard of in the private sector, Judith established one in her Hanover Park facility in 1978. In that same year, she began to operate a day camp to provide a stimulating recreational program for older children. Camp now hosts at least 130 children on a daily basis each year. These are but a few of the many programs that have evolved through Judith’s influence. Judith keeps up to date on the latest equipment. She personally evaluates and chooses every piece of equipment that is in the Minee Subee Centers.

In 1980, Judith began a formal graduation ceremony for students in the kindergarten program (certified and opened in 1979) and pre-kindergarten. This program has become widely known for its outstanding presentation of the childrens' talents. Another well noted celebration is the annual Minee Subee Thanksgiving Feast, which takes place during the month of November. This Feast involves families sharing a Thanksgiving lunch with their child after watching the children perform a Thanksgiving show.

Currently, Judith serves on the Executive Board of Directors for PSO/ICCA (Pre-School Owners/Illinois Child Care Association). She also is a member of CAEYC (Chicago Association for the Education of Young Children), NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children), NCCA (National Child Care Association) where she serves on the Conference Committee, NACCP (National Association for Child Care Professionals) and ASTM (American Standards for Testing and Measures).

Norman was an owner-operator of Minee Subee, an ever-growing Early Care and Education Facility for twenty-seven years.

He was directly responsible for the design and layout of the two Minee Subee facilities built from the ground up. Norman's clever ingenuity resulted in the many unique and custom features that can only be found at Minee Subee. Examples of this are the distinctive shapes of the classrooms, our "condo area" found in some of our pre-kindergarten rooms, the ball pits, custom designed changing tables, cubbies, bookshelves, and easels, just to name a few.

Norman designed and helped build a changing table that is the envy of all infant and toddler caregivers that see it! The table is designed so it does not have to be against a wall, allowing the caregiver full view of the entire classroom while attending to the diapering needs of a child. The unit also allows for storage of all needed essentials so a child is not left unattended on a changing table at any time.

As an answer to the vexing problem of injuries on the playground, Norman was responsible for inventing a resilient playground surface called UPPY. This highly acclaimed surface is ADA (American Disabilities Act) accessible and has been sought by many professionals in the park and recreation field.

An electronic keyless entry system was designed by Norman to ensure the utmost safety of the children in the care of Minee Subee. Each and every person MUST be identified before gaining access to ANY of our facilities. Each family's entrance and exit is monitored by the Door Monitor System. The Door Monitor is computerized, allowing the staff greater productivity in the use of their time by doing what they are trained for, working with and enriching children.

All in all, Norman remained 100% dedicated to the safety of children and to the Minee Subee Early Care and Education Facility.