The Batavia Chamber of Commerce has named Dave and Marge Brown its 2023 Citizens of the Year for their “enduring dedication” and “selfless volunteering” for their community.
“I just like being involved in the camaraderie that you build with other people that you are volunteering with,” Dave Brown said in a Chamber of Commerce announcement about the award.
His wife, Marge, believes their volunteerism is part of living in Batavia.
“I look around me and there are so many people that do so much, and I feel like I’m just one of them,” she said.
The Batavia Chamber of Commerce every year recognizes those who make extraordinary contributions in Batavia.
The couple will formally be recognized April 25 at the Chamber of Commerce’s “Inspire 2024: A Celebration of Those Who Inspire Us” awards night at Revelry, 675 S. River St. in Batavia.
“Together they have left an indelible mark on Batavia,” Batavia Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Margaret Perreault said in a Chamber of Commerce news release.
Together they have made notable contributions to Batavia, Perreault said.
“Dave’s transformative contributions to downtown development and Marge’s dedicated work in education, community connections and philanthropy are exemplary,” she said.
Dave Brown, a former longtime Batavia alderman, is a sixth-generation Batavian, who worked in the construction profession until his recent retirement, the news release said.
Brown served 22 years on the Batavia City Council. He served on the Kane County Board for a term as well. He essentially followed in the footsteps of his late father Robert Brown, who served as an alderman and mayor for Batavia.
Dave Brown worked on a streetscape in Plainfield while working in concrete construction. He along with other aldermen brought some of those ideas to the Batavia City Council that eventually led to the redesign of North River Street, which turned it into a community gathering space and centerpiece for local events, officials said.
Brown was involved in the Batavia Riverwalk beautification project and bike trails through the downtown. He also worked with community leaders in the creation of the Batavia Boardwalk Shops.
Batavia City Administrator Laura Newman said Brown was “tireless in his commitment” to the Boardwalk Shops project.
“The project benefited greatly from his construction expertise and from the sweat of his brow,” Newman said in a letter nominating Brown for the award. “I think Dave knew what a catalyst this project would be for small businesses, and he could foresee that it would draw people to Batavia from miles around, and he was right.”
Marge Brown grew up in St. Charles and relocated to Batavia after accepting a position as a second-grade teacher at Alice Gustafson Elementary.
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Her notable contributions involve her ability to connect people with one another, Chamber officials said. She serves as co-chair for the Batavia Foundation for Educational Excellence and is a longstanding volunteer for the Fox Valley Food for Health, a nonprofit that promotes a nutrition-focused community, especially for teens.
Other groups that have benefited from her volunteerism and compassion include the Batavia Women’s Club and Batavia Philanthropic Educators Organization, officials said.
In recent years, the couple “combined their respective expertise” for fundraising and construction of the Flag Day Monument in Batavia. The couple was there to ensure it would be a “beautiful tribute” to the symbol of the nation in downtown Batavia, Newman said.
The mayor of Batavia is familiar with the contributions of the couple.
“The two of them have a longstanding history of wanting to serve Batavia and be involved in everything that’s of importance to the community,” Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke said. “They are also strongly committed to the idea of the family and making Batavia a worthwhile place to live and raise a family.”
The Batavia Chamber of Commerce in 1958 launched the annual tradition of recognizing individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the community.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.