Buffalo Grove honors retiring chamber executive

The Buffalo Grove village board this week honored the retiring executive director of the local chamber of commerce.

Lynne Schneider, a resident since 1988, has served with what is now the Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce since 1989, becoming its executive director in 1999.

Schneider, who will retire at the end of the year, has also worked with the village on the Buffalo Grove Days Festival, created the Heart of the Community Awards and assisted on the merger of the chamber with the Lincolnshire Chamber.

She has served as president of the Illinois Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, sat on the Illinois Chamber as an ex officio director and in 2011 was awarded the prestigious Lester W. Braun Jr. Distinguished Illinois Chamber of Commerce Executive Award by her peers. She also serves as secretary of the Northwest Suburban Chamber of Commerce Executives.

Her extensive volunteer work includes being on the board of the village's Friends of the Parks Foundation and is a member of the village's Arts Commission and ad hoc Bicycle Committee.

At this week's village board meeting, Village President Jeffrey Braiman commended Schneider for her years of dedicated service to the community and wished her well in her retirement.

Schneider thanked the village for its continued support of the chamber and for putting its trust in her throughout the years. She also promised to continue to serve the village with the organizations she currently serves.

"It's been an honor and a privilege to work with the village and to serve our business community," she said. "I have dedicated the past 25 years to assisting our businesses and our residents to make Buffalo Grove a great place to work and live."