AAUW honors Peggy Frank, celebrates 60 years

Members of the Naperville Area Branch of the American Association of University Women this month celebrated the organization's 60th anniversary with an event that featured a toast from charter members and recognition of Peggy Frank as the Woman of the Year.

Before the luncheon, members and guests browsed historic displays and viewed a slideshow noting the branch's achievements in its 60 in Naperville. Charter members Audrey Bueche and Miriam Lehman gave a toast to the branch's accomplishments and Donna Yule gave a toast to the branch's future. Following lunch, a 2006 DVD of four charter member interviews was shown and speakers revisited notable programs of the past 10 years.

Every year, AAUW Naperville Area Branch selects a Naperville-area woman who has demonstrated through her actions an exceptional level of commitment to the community and is recognized by the community for her leadership and accomplishments. This year, Peggy Frank was recognized as the AAUW Naperville Area 2016 Woman of the Year for her careerlong efforts to promote, grow and preserve Naperville's rich history and the development of Naper Settlement as the only accredited outdoor history museum in Illinois.

Frank retired as Naper Settlement executive director in January, 2013, and now volunteers to help other nonprofit organizations with strategic planning and leadership recruitment. She is on the advisory board of Naperville's 360 Youth Services; works with Project Help, the parent cooperative Hobson preschool, and West Suburban Friends of the Chicago Sinfonietta; and serves on the Downtown Advisory Commission.

In addition, Charlotte Szromba received the branch Service Award for her six years of leadership in membership, programming, scholarship committee and activities coordinator.

Eryn Krueger was honored as the winner of the 2016 Angeline Gale Memorial Scholarship. She will apply her scholarship to finishing her bachelor's degree in business from Benedictine University, then hopes to continue her education with a master's degree in business and a law degree. Krueger has maintained a 4.0 grade-point average while working full time and caring for her daughter.

The scholarship is funded by the AAUW Naperville Area Used Book Sale, which will be Wednesday to Saturday, June 15 to 18, at Celebration Community Life Center, 919 S. Washington St., Naperville. For information about the book sale, visit naperville-il.aauw.net or email aauwnaperville@hotmail.com.