St. Charles Chamber member remembered for dedication to chamber's efforts

Peter Schwartz is being remembered for his dedication to the efforts of the St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Geneva resident was president and CEO of Streng advertising agency in St. Charles. He died on Jan. 19 of cancer.

He most recently was chairman of the chamber's industrial committee. In November, the committee hosted a virtual panel discussion between business leaders and area students. The panel discussion wrapped up the committee's program in October to highlight the manufacturing sector, which was Manufacturing Month in Illinois.

The chamber partnered with St. Charles Unit District 303, Burlington-based Central Unit District 301, Dundee Area Unit District 300 and Elgin Area Unit District 46.

"As far as I'm concerned, Peter led the most successful Manufacturing Month program that the chamber has ever done," said Bo Smith, who worked with Schwartz on the industrial committee. "He really helped the chamber show leadership in helping young people to learn about the opportunities out there in manufacturing and helped the manufacturers who badly need good employees."

Fellow industrial committee member Cheryl Flood said the passion that Schwartz had for the work of the committee will be missed.

"He had a passion of connecting the community with area employers, with a big emphasis on our youth and giving them other options than the traditional four-year university," Flood said.

And he didn't let his illness get in the way of the work that needed to be done.

"He never complained about anything," Flood said. "He was just always very professional. He was soft-spoken but was an effective executive."