St. Charles award winner: John Collins
If it were Oscar night in Hollywood, John Collins would have walked off with three Oscars.
Collins, a lifelong St. Charles businessman and community servant, was recognized Friday night as the 2010 Charlemagne Award winner, the 44th recipient of the city's most prestigious honor.
Collins already had been recognized twice as a founder of the Tri-City Health Partnership during the 89th annual St. Charles Chamber of Commerce Dinner at the St. Charles Country Club, as the partnership earned accolades with the evening's Small Business Award for 2010 and for completing 10 years of providing free health care service to the community.
But Collins had no idea he was about to win the city's top honor, until Chamber of Commerce board Chairman Rose Canfield began showing baby pictures and family portraits of Collins through his 56 years in St. Charles.
Canfield revealed that Collins earned the nickname of “Teddy Bear” during his days as a student at Lincoln Elementary and “it was a name that he has carried through adulthood.”
On a humorous note, Canfield revealed that Collins was so proud of the fact he was the tallest player on his Haines Middle School basketball team, yet he reflects today that he is the same height today as he was at Haines.
But he has stood tall in St. Charles, where his work in real estate with the Collins Group and as part of the influential Norris-Collins family vaulted him into various community roles.
Collins calls the creation of the Tri-City Health Partnership with Dr. Patrick Gannon his proudest accomplishment, but he has worked as a member and leader on several boards: John B. Norris Recreation Center, Delnor Hospital, Delnor Hospital Men's Foundation, Wabash College Alumni, Lutheran Social Services, Baker Community Center, St. Charles Park Foundation, Harris Bank and St. Charles Country Club.
“Thank you very much for this honor,” Collins said to the crowd of nearly 300. “As I was watching the photo clips (before the announcement), I saw both my grandparents and my mother, so I figure this is the third generation serving St. Charles.”
Collins said he was glad to win the Charlemagne because “I always finish second in the Sean Connery look-alike contest.”
In reflecting on the commitment it takes to be on five or six boards at the same time, Collins said, “I am always getting e-mails asking, ‘John can you do this or that,' but it's really a collective effort by everyone on those boards, and I accept this award on behalf of my entire family.”
Collins' family members added to the surprise by showing up just as he walked to the lectern to accept his award.
The award is given annually to a person who has displayed a long history of volunteer service to the community under the criteria established in the “Legend of Charlemagne” written by former C.V. Amenoff — civic, business, industrial, education, or religious, cultural and natural recreation expression.
The chamber also awarded individuals and businesses with civic image and community development honors.
The event also marked the passing of the gavel from chamber board chairman Canfield to new chairman Jeff Meyer of Ameriprise Financial.