Hoffman Estates chamber honors park director, Marriott, police
Retiring Hoffman Estates Park District Executive Director Dean Bostrom received a special recognition at the Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce & Industry's seventh annual Celebration of Excellence Dinner Thursday, an unscheduled award in addition to the event's five others.
This extra honor was made only six days after Bostrom was surprised with the Robert Artz Lifetime Achievement Award at the Illinois Park and Recreation's annual conference in Chicago.
"You have dramatically left this community way better than you found it," said Hoffman Estates Village Manager Jim Norris, serving as master of ceremonies for the chamber's dinner.
Bostrom has led the Hoffman Estates Park District since 1997 and co-founded the Friends of HE Parks Foundation in 1999. He'll retire in April.
Norris praised Bostrom's running of a park district that works in such harmony with the village that some don't recognize the two are separate governments.
Among the other honorees Thursday, it was the evening's host - the Chicago Marriott Northwest - that claimed the big award of Business of the Year.
In similar fashion, it was Martha Keyes, who had been assisting in handing out the awards to others, who won Volunteer of the Year herself. She has been conference services manager at the Northern Illinois University Conference Center in Hoffman Estates for the past 17 years.
Police Chief Ted Bos accepted the Public Sector Partner of the Year Award on behalf of the Hoffman Estates Police Department he leads.
Allen Gabe of Allen Gabe Law, who also serves as the chamber's attorney, was recognized as Small Business of the Year.
Brookdale Hoffman Estates, an independent-living and assisted-living community for seniors, was honored with the Chairman's Award.
Incoming Chairwoman Jennifer Walker of Tate & Lyle Americas praised the leadership of chamber President Tricia O'Brien, who last year brought the organization up to 335 members, started its taking a stand on issues affecting businesses, and personally earned an accreditation held by only 35 chamber leaders in Illinois.