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Pradel praises 'teamwork' during his 20 years leading Naperville

Naperville Mayor George Pradel's 20th and final State of the City address on Monday was an ode to the philosophy that carried him through two decades at the city's helm: teamwork.

The speech before a crowd of 500 at a Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon was part flashback and part celebration as Pradel illustrated the ways he has remained committed to the same ideals of leadership and service he adopted when he began as mayor in 1995.

“In my very first State of the City speech I said the following: 'We will continue to maintain the quality of life you expect by providing the highest level of service through a spirit of teamwork,'” Pradel said. “We've lived those words every single day for the past 7,211 days.”

During that time, Pradel said he has led the city “my way,” with plenty of praise and pride and always a smile.

“I knew when I became mayor that it would be my life, my heart and my soul,” Pradel said. “It would not be my part-time job, but rather my full-time joy.”

As he recapped the past year and highlighted key moments from the past 20, many of those he recognized saluted him with a tip of the hat — a top hat — like the one Pradel himself likes to wear.

When he recognized the police department for collaborating on regional efforts to stem the “rising heroin epidemic,” Chief Robert Marshall stood in a top hat and offered a salute.

When Pradel praised the city's public works department for handling 80 inches of snow during the “polar vortex” and all of last winter, Public Works Director Dick Dublinski took off his top hat and waved.

Bill Novack, director of transportation, engineering and development, did the same when Pradel recognized his department for its work facilitating new downtown shops at Main Street Promenade East, the new Walmart Supercenter, Granite City Food & Brewery, Standard Market, iFly and two new car dealerships last year.

And the city council members, whom Pradel has had as his teammates in making municipal decisions, all raised a hat to their retiring leader, too.

But before Pradel took the podium, his wife of 54 years, Pat Pradel, introduced him as a faith-filled man who models himself on a Bible verse about living a life of service.

“All through our married life, I looked upon George as a servant to people,” she said. “He was there to encourage and support individuals in whatever way he could.”

He's been encouraging and supporting the city as a whole during five terms as mayor, but Pradel is not running again in the April 7 election. Until a new leader is sworn in May 3, Pradel says he will keep working on some strategic and longtime goals, such as improving traffic, keeping the community informed, increasing electronic government functions and establishing a banquet convention center that will seat 1,000 people. The Embassy Suites hotel at Freedom Plaza on the city's north side will achieve that goal when it opens, likely sometime this year.

“A facility of this size is something we've been working on for most of the time I've been mayor,” Pradel said.

Pradel said it has been a “blessing” to serve the city his way, through “teamwork, cooperation and partnership.”

“I thank you all for the privilege of being mayor,” he said near the conclusion of his speech, veering from a script he had practiced so it was perfectly timed with video clips playing on a screen behind him. “I may not be perfect and I made a lot of mistakes, but together we are all part of a perfect city.”

  Naperville Mayor George Pradel said the city has been working for most of the 20 years he has been mayor to attract a 1,000-seat banquet facility, like the Embassy Suites hotel under construction here at Freedom Plaza. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  Naperville Mayor George Pradel said during his 20th and final state of the city address Monday that teamwork has brought the city many successes, such as the 1,000-seat Embassy Suites banquet facility under construction on the city's north side. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  One future accomplishment Naperville Mayor George Pradel highlighted Monday during his 20th and final state of the city address is the completion of a 1,000-seat banquet facility at the Embassy Suites hotel under construction on the city's north side. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  Naperville Mayor George Pradel thanks a crowd of 500 people Monday during his 20th and final State of the City address for their contributions to the city's success. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  Mayor George Pradel gives his 20th and final State of the City address Monday afternoon to a crowd of 500 during a Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Marriott hotel. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
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