Batavia Chamber seeks nominations for Batavia Citizen of the Year

The Batavia Chamber of Commerce seeks nominations for Batavia Citizen of the Year. The award will be given at the chamber's annual Inspire awards recognition event in late January.

Is there a Batavia citizen who you believe exemplifies giving back to the community through outstanding service and dedication? If so, nominate them for the annual Batavia Citizen of the Year Award. The award honors extraordinary contributions to the community over the course of the recipient's lifetime.

This person, or persons will be the guest of honor at the Batavia Chamber of Commerce's annual recognition event. The Inspire 2020 awards recognition takes place Thursday, Jan. 23, at the Nagel Emporium at Abbey Farms, 2855 Hart Road, Aurora.

The Citizen of the Year Award is given to a local resident whose service and dedication have made a significant contribution to the community. Criteria for the award are:

• The nominee must reside, or have their business, in Batavia or Batavia Township.

• The nominee must have assisted in an improvement or program of significant value to the Batavia community.

• The improvement must be made as a result of a personal commitment and not substantially as a result of their primary employment or public responsibilities.

• The nominee may not currently be on the board of directors of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce.

• The nominee does not need to be a member of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce.

• The contributions of the nominee to the community should be of an extraordinary nature.

To nominate a deserving person, submit a letter of recommendation to the Batavia Chamber of Commerce no later than Friday, Nov. 8.

The letter should state the reasons why the nominee is worthy of this honor. A committee of previous recipients of the award selects the Batavia Citizen of the Year based upon the letters of recommendation received.

The last 10 Batavia Citizen of the Year winners are Georgene Kauth O'Dwyer (2018), Marcia Boyce (2017), Ed and Nancy Weiss (2016), Joanne Spitz (2015), J. Thomas "Tom" Von Lunen (2014), James (Jim) Hanson (2013), Steve and Britta McKenna (2012), Robert and Suzanne Peterson (2011), Virginia C. Babcock (2010), and W.C. "Buzz" and Linnea Miller (2009).

Contact Margaret Perreault, president and CEO of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce via email margaret@bataviachamber.org or call (630) 879-7134 for more information.