Chamber Honors Heart of Buffalo Grove Award Recipients

A number of Buffalo Grove area residents and business owners were honored this month for for their dedication and service to the Buffalo Grove community.

The Buffalo Grove Area Chamber of Commerce presented its second annual Heart of Buffalo Grove awards Nov. 10 at a ceremony held at the Arboretum Club. The event, which was co-sponsored by Buffalo Grove Bank & Trust, was attended by more than 200 village officials, residents and chamber members.

The 2012 Heart of Buffalo Grove Award recipients include:

Above & Beyond

Jerod Loeb is member of the Fire and Police Commission. He has been a Buffalo Grove Fire Department volunteer since 1998, is a graduate of the Buffalo Grove Citizens Fire Academy (inaugural class), assisted with the MDA Boot Drive for the Buffalo Grove Fire Department and is a founding member of the Buffalo Grove CERT team. Jerod also volunteers with the Sea-Blue Prostate Cancer Foundation, the World Health Organization (WHO) as a patient safety expert, the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and several federal agencies as an expert on patient safety and health care quality.

Jerod is married to Sherri and they have two children, Jennifer and Rebecca plus two very special companion puppies – Hero and Halligan.  He has worked for 18 years at The Joint Commission in Oakbrook Terrace where he currently serves as executive vice president.

Other finalists for this award — Larry Reiner and Steve Rusin

Together We Can

The BG Singers is a program of the Buffalo Grove Park District. The 75+ member chorus celebrated its 20th anniversary and has been ‘the Choir that Cares’ since its inception. Projects/donations have included The Barry Manilow Project which provides instruments to inner city kids (more than $2,000 plus used instruments), Rotary Club Guatemala school project (donations and instruments), purchased an AED for a Buffalo Grove park, adopted a family at the holidays providing presents and necessities amounting to more than $2,000), cleaned Buffalo Grove streets, plus special donations to schools in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, American Cancer Society, Northwest Community Hospital children’s floor, WINGS for abused women and children, college scholarships and aid to needy families for park district programs. In 2011, its Encore! division won the National Sing! contest and $20,000 that was given to the Laurie S. Bauer Foundation for Sudden Loss.

Buffalo Grove resident Linda Rosen is the director of the BG Singers. She is married to Gary and has two children Steve (Lauren) and Laura (Brian).  

Other finalists for this award — the Buffalo Grove Days Committee and St. Mary Men’s Club

Business Philanthropy

(Two winners)

Drew Olbur and his restaurant, Wiener Take All, have been a fixture in the Creekside Commons Shopping Center in Buffalo Grove for nearly 25 years. Drew has been a constant supporter of the community by donating foods to various local organizations, raising money for numerous charitable organizations, sponsoring area youth sports teams (14 to date) and even providing lunch for children who were in need. To quote Drew, ”Community is everything!”

Drew lives in Vernon Hills and is the father of an adult son, Sam. 

Peter Panayiotou is the owner of the Continental Restaurant, a longtime restaurant favorite of residents and employees of Buffalo Grove. Peter supports a variety of charities and community and religious organizations by donating back 10 percent of food sales when a member eats there.  He has hosted fundraisers for various causes, held an all-star Academy Awards dinner and prepares Rosh Hashanah and Passover meals at the restaurant. 

Peter is married to Zena and they have two children. 

Other finalist for this award — Stu Cohen of Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria

Teach & Inspire

Susan Snell currently teaches 4-year-olds at St. Mary School, where she previously taught kindergarten. She inspires her students to grow, wonder, discover and succeed on a daily basis. Her students start the year as timid or shy and leave as confident learners, ready to face the challenges and opportunities of their world. Susan connects with the parents to encourage them to help their child make the most of each learning experience. She has been inspiring students and fellow educators at St. Mary School for 23 years.

Susan has three children — Tim (Tina), Molly (Tom Miller) and Carey (Dan Personette) and six grandchildren — Patrick, Kathryn, Karolyn, Maddie, Cate and Will. 

Other finalists for this award — Valerie Gangware and Stan Zoller

Community Volunteer

Jan Obrand exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism every day. Her company, In Working Order, assists seniors and their families. Jan is member of the Buffalo Grove Area Chamber of Commerce and serves on the board as secretary. She has served as an ambassador and speaker chair, developed a women’s network, heads the Community Outreach Committee which is responsible for chamber philanthropic involvement, volunteers at many of the chamber events and coordinates the chamber’s food drive during the Buffalo Grove Days parade. She also assists the village Arts Commission during the Invitational Art Festival.  Outside the chamber, Jan has assisted the local food pantries including helping them secure grants and sits on several women’s and health care industry boards. Two years ago, Jan started the Community Home Team, a network of home service professionals who do community service projects including work at Lambs Farm, Maryville Academy, the Wheeling Post Office and the Adopt-a-Highway Program.

Jan was born in California and moved to this area as a child. Her parents, Art and Ethel Obrand, also live in Buffalo Grove and her sister Anita and family live in Highland Park. She has many family members and friends that live all over the world.

Other finalists for this award — Mike Brown & Sam Shulman

Senior Volunteer

The Senior Advisory Council Board includes President Betty Schneider, Vice-President Harry Shaw, Secretary Syd Mitchel plus Toby Bresler, Fran Eagan, Rhonda Moore, Mary Ann Pisano, Carl Shulien and Rose Wilkosz.

The Senior Advisory Council Board, along with the Buffalo Grove Park District administration, assists in the planning and volunteering for many senior-related programs including the Senior Citizen Expo, the Veterans Day celebration, parties, lectures, day trips, weekly programs, Bingo and other programs to enhance the lives of the seniors of Buffalo Grove.

Other finalist for this award — Kenneth Falk and Eugene Kukla

Youth Volunteer

(Two winners)

Cub Scout Pack 36 meets at Meridian Middle School and has 50 member scouts ranging in age from 6-11 years old. Over the past three years they have participated in the Boy Scout Food Drive collecting over two tons of food that were donated to the Vernon Township Food Pantry.  The Pack was also instrumental in getting the BSA to change how distribution of food is handled so that all food now stays within the local community. The Pack has assisted Dominick’s in raising money for Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer research by selling root beer floats.  The Lake-Cook Dominick’s was the top prostate cancer fundraising store this past year due to the pack’s efforts. Other projects include selling soda at the Buffalo Grove Farmer’s Market with proceeds benefitting the Vernon Area Food Pantry, beautification of Raupp Memorial Museum and Green Lake Park, making blankets for Project Linus, collecting toiletries for a local women’s shelter, assisting with the Feed the Starving Children program, providing Thanksgiving baskets for six needy families and sending cards to our troops serving overseas.

Buffalo Grove resident Andy Stein is the current Cubmaster of Pack 36.  He is married to Rochelle and they have two children, Matthew and Lauren.

Avi Samuels is a regular visitor at The Claremont Rehab & Living Center through a project at his synagogue called Lifting the Human Spirit by Visiting the Sick as well as helping residents and patients at the Claremont to understand what to expect going through certain procedures that Avi has already experienced in his life. Avi provides occasional input to the Buffalo Grove Commission for Resident with Disabilities. In 2008, Avi was the recipient of the Arrow of Light, the highest honor awarded to a Cub Scout.

Avi is a student at Stevenson High School and resides in Buffalo Grove with his parents, Judy and Phillip Samuels.

— Profiles of the winners were provided by the Buffalo Grove Chamber of Commerce.