Mundelein historical commission members named
Seven Mundelein residents with extensive volunteer and public-service experience have been named the first members of the village's new historical commission.
The group primarily will oversee the Fort Hill Heritage Museum, 601 E. Noel Drive.
The museum houses collection of regional memorabilia. Its contents are owned by a nonprofit group called the Historical Society of the Fort Hill Country.
The village board agreed in December to form the commission after the death of the historical society's longtime leader, Dottie Watson.
The new commission members were identified during Monday's village board meeting. The group's chairman will be former Assistant Village Administrator Michael Flynn.
The other members are:
• Wendy Frasier, who led Mundelein's centennial commission in 2009 and also is a member of the Fort Hill Historical Society and the Old No. 1 fire truck preservation committee.
• Gary Gunther, a former Fremont Public Library board member who's also served on Mundelein's Community Days commission, the village's planning and zoning commission and with other community groups.
• Shawn Killackey, a Fremont School District 79 board member and author who served on the centennial commission and old village hall commission.
• John Schockmel, a former member of the Community Days commission and the village's planning and zoning commission, among other groups.
• Anne Walker, a former member of the old village hall commission.
• Karen Walsh, a former member of the old village hall commission and a former farmers market volunteer.
Mayor Steve Lentz called the group "the all-stars of Mundelein volunteers."
Flynn said he's excited to lead the group and help develop a long-range plan that ensures the preservation of local history.
"Local history takes many forms - historic structures, the Fort Hill Museum collection, village records, private collections, photographs (and) written and oral histories," Flynn said. "The commission will take all these into account as we deliberate the path forward."
So many other people were interested in joining the group, membership might expand to 11, Lentz said.
Trustee Bill Rekus thanked the volunteers for stepping up.
"Volunteering is very important in our community," Rekus said. "It shows dedication and strength in the community while creating a healthy atmosphere in which to live."