Ex-parks leader wins St. Charles Charlemagne award

Longtime St. Charles parks advocate Gloria Klimek was named the 2013 recipient of the Charlemagne Award for community service Friday night.

The honor, bestowed by the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce at its annual awards banquet, is for lifetime achievement, given annually since 1968 to those who have distinguished themselves in service to the community.

The former park board president was a St. Charles Park District commissioner for 24 years, stepping down at the end of her term in April 2013.

During her time on the board, the district acquired and developed more than 900 acres, including James O. Breen Community Park, River Bend Community Park in Valley View, East Side Sports Complex, Delnor Woods Park, and Hickory Knolls Discovery Center. The district won the 1998 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management.

She has also been involved in the Downtown St. Charles Public Arts Committee, the St. Charles Heritage Center and the St. Charles Arts Council. She has served on the city’s Tree Commission and St. Charles Township’s senior citizen service committee, and worked with the St. Charles Park Foundation, the Pottawatomie Garden Club’s community service projects since 2001, the city’s bike trail task force and the city’s First Street Redevelopment task force.

Other awards bestowed Friday night included the Civic Image Award, given to members of the chamber for humanitarian efforts or civic or personal projects which have brought positive recognition to St. Charles. The winners were the St. Charles Public Library, the St. Charles Park District, Richmond Intermediate School and Fine Line Creative Arts Center.