Lisle Rotary honors five

The Lisle Rotary Distinguished Service Award recipients are a source of inspiration. The five honorees represent the community's cream of the crop.

At a banquet June 3 at the Hilton Lisle/Naperville, Rotary Club President Tom Althoff presented Lisle Mayor Joseph Broda with the evening's first Distinguished Service Award.

Mayor Joseph Broda

Althoff cited the mayor's attentive work on governmental issues, his high regard for Lisle businesses and his consideration for all parts of the community.

"Our mayor loves this town," Althoff said. "He has a passion for his work."

Representing Lisle on the larger scene, Broda recently was elected president of the DuPage Mayor's and Managers Association, a coalition of 34 municipalities that works for intergovernmental cooperation and on issues affecting local governments.

In accepting the Rotary award, Broda recalled that when he first came to Lisle to work at Western Electric, he thought Lisle was the other side of the world and never dreamed of what lay ahead.

Broda was first appointed to the Lisle board of trustees in 1986, then ran for the office the following year. As a trustee, Broda rarely spoke the first year but rather took time to listen and learn. He served as a trustee until he was elected mayor in 2001.

"I was told that the key to being a successful trustee is caring about the community," Broda said.

Caring about the community is an undisputable quality Broda brings to his work as mayor. Broda was honored with a Distinguished Service Award in the cultural/community category.

Christine Messina

A Distinguished Service Award in the education category was given to Christine Messina, director of curriculum at Lisle Unit District 202, for all the things she does for the children in Lisle schools.

Nominated by Lisle resident Marilyn Buchholz, Messina goes the extra mile to ensure schools are effective.

The educator began working in the district 10 years ago as principal of Tate Woods Elementary School. She is credited with starting many new programs and supporting teachers.

Messina's work as a classroom teacher early in her career gave her the insights she puts into practice today as an administrator, she said.

"If I can make a teacher's job easier, then they can give their best to the children in the classroom," Messina said.

Mary Jean Houden

Lisle resident Mary Jean Houde received the Distinguished Service Award in the historic category for her lifelong enthusiasm for volunteering. In her work with Sears, she served on the National Coalition to Prevent Shoplifting that originated the crime dog McGruff and initiated the national crime reduction program for volunteers called, "Hands Up."

She's worked with the American Red Cross, the Citizen Information Service of Illinois and the General Federation of Women's Clubs. She was director of the Junior Women's Club and president of its Illinois Federation.

Houde said that through membership in woman's clubs, she became involved on the local, state and international levels.

As an active member of the Lisle Woman's Club, Houde brought an identity theft program to the community. During the three years she served as membership director of the Lisle Chamber of Commerce, membership grew to 400 members. Currently, she is working on the history of the Lisle chamber.

"Learning is the best part of volunteering," Houde said. "I have been able to work in areas I might not have been involved in otherwise."

James Gilfillan

Extensive volunteering is the reason Lisle resident Jim Gilfillan received the Distinguished Service Award in the senior category. As a Rotarian, Gilfillan has helped the organization in numerous ways including serving as president.

In his retirement, Gilfillan has become an active volunteer for the Sharing Connection, PADS and his church. For the Lisle Rotary, he recruits members to pick up trash in the community's adopt- a-highway program. He has organized members to run its soft drinks and water booth for the Eyes to the Skies festival. For many years, he was the go-to person for the Lisle Farmer's Market.

"I like meeting people," Gilfillan said.

Known for his sense of humor, Gilfillan said it's been easy to qualify for distinguished service as a senior because "all one needs to do is hang around long enough."

Betty Krupp

A woman who is "young at heart" is the description given to Betty Krupp of Lisle, Distinguished Service Award honoree for her work with young people. A lifelong volunteer, Krupp is treasurer of the Resident Council at Villa St. Benedict, where she teaches fitness classes to residents.

For many years, Krupp worked with youth ministry groups at various churches. Together with her husband, Krupp has been a longtime volunteer with Special Olympics and served on the board of directors for the South East Association for Special Parks and Recreation.

She has volunteered with the Red Cross State and National Disaster Services.

When Krupp found she could walk to the warehouse for Operation Support Our Troops of Illinois, she quickly volunteered and is now on its board of directors.

"We are giving a little bit of home to our boys and girls serving overseas," Krupp said. "I feel one thing I can always give others is my time and energy."

The Rotary's motto "Service Above Self" conveys the humanitarian spirit of the organization's more than 1.2 million worldwide members and the five volunteers the Lisle chapter chose to honor.

Joan Broz writes about Lisle on Mondays in Neighbor. E-mail her at jgbroz@yahoo.com.