Little Traveler owner receives Geneva service award
Michael Simon's devotion to his hometown was recognized Thursday night, as he received the Wood Community Service Award, from the Geneva Chamber of Commerce.
"It's hard to tell which came first, Mike's devotion to Geneva because of his closeness to and appreciation of so many Geneva people, businesses and other institutions; or whether he is so committed to those people, businesses and institutions because of his appreciation for Geneva generally. I would say that the two are so inextricably entangled that they can't be separated and it's not possible to extract out the cause from the effect," said his wife, Nancy Sohn, in a news release.
Simon owns The Little Traveler and other properties in downtown Geneva, including the Merra-Lee shops. The enterprise was started by Simon's grandfather.
He was born and raised in Geneva, and returned when his father was ill. He learned the business and took over in his late 20s.
Simon has served on the chamber's board of directors. He has served on boards for the Geneva History Museum, the Geneva Park District Foundation, and the Geneva Community Chest.
He was a founding member and served on the board of Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors.
Simon has received the Mayor's Choice Award for Significant Contribution in Business and Real Estate Development in 2012, and Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley honored him in 2014 for the restoration of the former Merra-Lee properties.
His longtime friend, Kurt Wehrmeister, recalled when the movie "Road to Perdition" was filmed in Geneva in 2001. The production company required that every retailer, on both sides of West State Street from Second to Fourth, shut down for two weeks. Retailers were promised they would be compensated for their losses while closed. Simon bargained on their behalf.
"And he did so holding all the cards: The company would be filming in his building - or not. As the days to the start of production ticked down to just a few, Mike refused to sign his name until the last minute," Wehrmeister said.
The Wood Community Service award is presented each year to a person who has made significant community contributions in the areas of business, education, youth involvement, civic organizations, art, recreation, charity or government. The award is named in honor of Bill and Elise Wood, and Nell and Burton Wood.