Batavia Chamber of Commerce issued the following announcement on Dec. 2
A “tireless volunteer and leader” was named 2021 Batavia Citizen of the Year (COTY) today. The Batavia Chamber of Commerce will honor Daniel ‘Dan’ Hoefler on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Chamber’s Inspire 2022: A Celebration of Those Who Inspire Us! annual awards event.
Additionally, the Batavia Community Band is the Spirit of Batavia award winner for 2021. A committee of previous recipients of the Citizen of the Year award selects the Batavia Citizen of the Year from nominations received from the community. This group also chooses the Spirit of Batavia group honoree.
In a nomination letter, Tom Von Lunen, COTY 2014, wrote that Dan “is an excellent example of a dedicated individual who gives more of himself without seeking any accolades or recognition of his service to his community.”
Steering Dan’s lengthy volunteer career are his profession as a lifelong educator, a passion for history and a commitment to guiding students to become strong leaders. Except for a couple of years when he and his family lived downstate because of work, Dan has volunteered steadily since he first moved to his new bride’s hometown, Batavia, in 1975.
Shortly after his arrival, Dan volunteered to serve on the Batavia Bicentennial Committee, which then led to his participation in Loyalty Day activities and parade; both of which began as an offshoot of this committee. Two years later, in 1977, Dan ran for and was elected Third Ward Alderman. He served one term prior to moving downstate to take a position as principal in Sullivan for three years.
Batavia Mayor Jeffery Schielke called Dan “a really good friend to Batavia.”
“He’s always been at the frontline of community activities since he first moved here,” explained Mayor Schielke. “Many times, he was behind the scenes, but he’s always been a respected worker involved with many activities. He has certainly shown his love and passion for the community and for good government.”
Batavia History Connections
Dan’s love of history and government is evident by the groups he’s chosen to be involved with. According to a nomination packet with nine testimonials, “Dan’s volunteerism and successful efforts to preserve Batavia’s heritage make him a truly deserving recipient of Batavia’s highest honor.”
He is a member of the Batavia Historical Society, currently serving as the president of its board of directors. He also took on the role as chairperson of the Batavia Depot Expansion Committee. Says Allison Niemela, executive director of the Batavia Park District, “Dan is the perfect blend of an outstanding long-range planner and day-to-day motivator who knows how to successfully collaborate between governmental entities like the Park District and the City to get things done.”
When the Batavia Historic Preservation Commission was formed in 2002, Dan was asked to serve as one of the original five on it. During his eight-year service, including a couple as chairperson, he and the other commissioners were charged with the responsibility of defining the downtown historic district and then categorizing each building as to its relative significance to the district. Steve Vasilion (Batavia architect and fellow commission member), wrote that Dan’s “passion for historic preservation and keen awareness of how to navigate the political waters made him an excellent commissioner and chairperson.”
Service Above Self
After retiring from the Oswego School District in 2010, Dan found that he could now make the weekly meetings of a group with the tagline “Service Above Self,” the Batavia Rotary Club. The tagline is an apt description of Dan’s commitment to volunteerism, making it the perfect service club for him to join. Says Dan, “It is important to serve; there is always something that you can do on behalf of others.”
Tony Winter, a fellow Rotarian wrote in his nomination letter that Dan “is selfless, kind-hearted, and always ready to pitch in wherever needed.”
“He is a ‘do as I do’ person, meaning he is always one of the first to commit to a project,” he continued. “Then, he works hard to engage others in an effective manner.”
During his service with Rotary, he served an extended term as its president. He is also a hands-on leader, having helped with many of the group’s community service projects, including battling yellowjackets this past summer to paint the windmill in front of City Hall.
Calvary Episcopal Church in Batavia
Dan is proud to say that he is the third Calvary Episcopal Church member to receive the Citizen of the Year accolade. According to fellow church member Mark Allen, Dan has been a source of energy and ideas for the congregation.
A few of his activities through the church include acting as a Vestry member, heading up the Men's Interfaith Breakfast and retreats, being a regular contributor to Hesed House/PADS in Aurora and “doing a great job of inspiring the fundraising for our 19th-century-stained glass windows.”
And More…
During his career as an educator, Dan has been a history and government teacher, a department head, an assistant principal, and a principal. He logged most of his professional time at Oswego School District, from which he retired in 2010. He was involved in the district throughout the huge growth of Oswego, helping with referendums and was elected president of the district’s teachers association.
One of his most meaningful roles was to serve as National Honor Society Advisor for years, even being named National Honor Society Advisor of the Year at one point. According to Dan, advising students was of major importance to him, promoting volunteerism so they learn that service to others should be a lifelong ambition. This past fall, Dan was inducted into the Oswego High School Hall of Honor for his cumulative work at the Oswego School District.
Through the years, Dan has been involved with a myriad of other groups, including Batavia Youth Baseball, Batavia and Marmion Sports Boosters, Batavia Boy Scouts Troop 43, Batavia Access Television (BATV), Books Between Bites presenter and is a Lincoln researcher and collector.
Dan and his wife, Patricia (Pat) delight in traveling and are the parents of two boys, Daniel (wife Jackie) and Michael (wife Carissa) and have two granddaughters, Maeve and Cora.
Tony Winter, in his nomination letter for Dan Hoefler, appropriately summarized Dan’s accomplishments.
“I don’t know where he gets his energy, but he’s like the Energizer Bunny and just keeps going,” stated Tony. “I know I am not alone when I say that Batavia is a much better community because of Dan.”
Spirit of Batavia Honoree
The Batavia Chamber of Commerce is also pleased to announce that the Batavia Community Band is this year’s recipient of the Spirit of Batavia Award. This is the sixth year the award is given to an organization that has made significant contributions to the Batavia community.
“The Batavia Community Band is totally volunteer and is run by donations and goodwill offerings,” stated Mayor Schielke. “They exemplify this award (Spirit of Batavia); the band is a collection of music lovers who simply want to produce good music for the community and its events.”
The Batavia Community Band was conceived in October 2013 by John Heath, retired band director of the Batavia High School and Dr. Linda Schielke, a retired school administrator. After a call went out for musicians, the group first performed at the 2013 Celebration of Lights on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The group performs regularly at citywide events since that time. More information about the band is on the City of Batavia’s website, https://www.cityofbatavia.net/739/Batavia-Community-Band.
According to Linda Schielke, the band has about 45 active members and is “thrilled to receive the Spirit of Batavia Award.”
“After reviewing the recipients of this award from previous years, we are honored to be in such excellent company,” explained Ms. Schielke. “I think we all have something in common: through our efforts, Batavians are lifted up, whether through financial, material or emotional support, or through experiencing the joy of music as a community. We all try to help others enjoy life more and feel a part of a greater family. The Batavia Community Band has worked tirelessly for eight years to help all Batavians make wonderful memories in their hometown and find joy in common celebrations!”
Batavia Community Impact Award
During their discussion, the COTY committee also thought that two special projects/programs active in 2021 deserved the Batavia Community Impact Award. This award goes to projects or initiatives that are inspirational and demonstrate kindness, generosity, and goodwill in our community. Selected to receive the honor for 2021 are:
- Erin Cluts, a Batavia mom who spent countless hours tracking down and scheduling COVID shots for at least 100 Batavia-area senior citizens, many of whom couldn’t navigate the online appointments. She also drove or arranged for rides to those appointments for those who couldn’t get there on their own.
- The Batavia Counselors’ Collaboration, originally organized by Maria Kuhn of Kuhn Counseling Center with the assistance of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce, formed in 2020 during COVID to address the community’s underlying anxiety about the pandemic.
About the Batavia Chamber of Commerce:
A local business-centered organization, the Batavia Chamber of Commerce sponsors or is involved with several annual Batavia events, including the Annual Mayor’s Breakfast, Citizen of the Year/Ole Awards Event, and much more. The president and CEO is Margaret Perreault. Membership and information about upcoming Batavia Chamber and community events are available online at bataviachamber.org or by calling (630) 879-7134.
Original source can be found here.
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