Itasca's Robert Watt brings volunteer experience to the Friends board

Retired Itasca consultant Robert Watt has been appointed to the board of directors of the Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, the district's 501(c)(3) philanthropic foundation.

"Our Friends board members are valued partners in our work engaging the community through philanthropy in support of the district's work," said Jeannine Kannegiesser, chief partnership and philanthropy officer at the Forest Preserve District.

"In Bob Watt, our board is gaining an excellent new member with significant professional and community leadership experience and skill," Kannegiesser said. "He is a dedicated Forest Preserve District volunteer with a deep knowledge of our mission. We are grateful he has chosen to join us at this time."

Watt has been a volunteer interpreter at Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn since 2016 and a Forest Preserve District volunteer since 2019. He is also a board member on the Bloomingdale Park District Foundation and a volunteer with Dujardin Elementary School in Bloomingdale and the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.

"My interest is increasing corporate sponsors and partnerships," Watt said. "I enjoy working with corporations to encourage them to support the communities in which they are located and talking to them about how they benefit directly from becoming a partner sponsor."

Watt retired in 2019 after serving as managing director and partner of RPX Group LLC, a Chicago-based consulting company that helps clients monetize their intellectual property.

In related news, Friends board members Larry Larson and Penny Chanez were reappointed to second terms on the board. Larson serves as vice chair, and Chanez serves as board secretary.

The Friends advances the vision of the Forest Preserve District through philanthropic endeavors. Details on the Friends, including gift-giving options, are at dupageforest.org/friends.