Arlington Heights library wins chamber award
The Arlington Heights business of the year isn’t. It isn’t a business, that is.
The Arlington Heights Memorial Library took the award Thursday night at the annual installation dinner of the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce.
In announcing the honor, Village President Arlene Mulder praised all local businesses, “especially those that pay sales tax.” Then she said that even though the library doesn’t pay taxes it “enriches everyone in so many ways.”
“You can look all over the United States and not find a library even close to this one,” she said.
Cliff Higley, installed as the chamber’s 2012 president, pledged better communication with village officials and continued the evening’s praise for the library as well as other members that took awards.
“Arlington Heights is a great community, it can be better,” Higley said after the ceremony. “Communication is the key. The village and the chamber have the same goals, but too many times they go in different directions.”
Higley lives in Mount Prospect but said many of the customers for his promotional products business, Stitches Inc., are in Arlington Heights.
Listing the award winners, Higley said the library is a “tremendous resource for the business community” and noted his wife, Diane, frequently travels to Mariano’s Fresh Market, chosen as the Emerging Business.
Greg Padovani of PENS Communications Systems, named Business Volunteer of the Year, does many things within the community as well as heading up programs at Memorial Park, including the Memorial Day ceremony, Higley said.
Dr. Joe Favia, a dentist selected as Business Leader of the year, established the Taste of Arlington Heights to complement the Mane Event summer celebration.
Outgoing chamber president Cindee Manaves of Arlington Heights Ford gave the President’s Award to Deb Whisler, director of communications and marketing at the library. She created a special award for Linda Navara of LMR Designs and Maureen Willenborg of Wilcon Personal Assistant.