The Maplewood educator, citizen and businessperson of the year were awarded at the Chamber of Commerce 28th Annual Dinner Auction & Awards Ceremony Friday at Orlando Gardens.
Second and third grade teacher, Janine Lillard was awarded the Maplewood Richmond Heights Educator of the Year award. She’s been with MRH since 2008.
“She has such a personal interest in every student,” MRH superintendent, Karen Hall said. “She understands when a student has problems with a subject. She remembers what it is like to have been a student herself. Whatever the reason, she empathizes with her students.”
Dan Noonan was awarded the Citizen of the Year. Noonan was introduced by Mayor Jim White.
“Whenever Dan has asked to serve on a board or committee, Dan’s response has always been yes,” White said. “(Dan) insures that the meetings are run in a professional and courteous manner. Petitioners never walk away with the feeling that they were not given the opportunity to present their facts.”
- Noonan and his wife, Kim, completely renovated their home on Cambridge Avenue inside and out. Mayor Jim White called it an “enormous task.”
- Parks and Recreation Commission, 13 years, last seven as chairman
- Civil Service Commission, member and chairman for seven years
- Planning and zoning commission, member 11 years, last nine as chairman
- Dear Creek Center TIF Commission
Developer, David Schlafly, owner of Schlafly Corporation and part owner of Schlafly Brewery was awarded Businessperson of the Year. He was introduced by Maplewood Community Development Director Rachelle L’Ecuyer.
“Downtown Maplewood has been beautifully revitalized over the last decade. While we often cite the influx of new businesses as the reason, the spotlight is rarely focused on the building owners, who are the soldiers in the trenches,” L’Ecuyer said.
Schlafly has rehabbed The Mill Building, including the Mule Building, and a former laundromat (now The Wood); the former Type House building (now home to a lighting design and architects office); and the former theater and pharmacy on Sutton Boulevard (now or soon to be a coffee roaster, butcher shop, yoga studio, Bridges Community Services and Sierra Club.)
“(The Mill Building project) opened my life up to working with the city. It was unlike any other city I had worked with,” Schlafly said. “They (the city staff) were all incredibly positive every single day as we encountered terrible problems that developers do. You wonder how the team will respond to you. It was always with utmost optimism and support.”
