The Naperville Jaycees honored eight members of the greater Naperville community for their outstanding commitment to service and volunteerism Thursday, May 2 at the 41st Annual Distinguished Service Awards held at Meson Sabika.
Recipients of the 2019 Distinguished Service Awards
Educator – Heidi Nelson
Student Volunteer – Isha Srinivasan
Public Employee – Paul Felstrup
Business – Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant
Non-Profit Leader – Ryan Dowd
Healthcare Professional – Dr. Aaron Weiner
Community Leader – Dennise Vaughn
Charles “Chuck” Bueche Lifetime Achievement Award – Patti Boheme
Educator – Heidi Nelson
Heidi Nelson is a 4th grade Spanish Dual Language teacher at Mill Street Elementary School in District 203. She always knew she wanted to be a teacher since childhood. She began learning Spanish back in 6th grade. Heidi attended North Central College where she earned a double major in Education and Spanish. While at NCC she took advantage of opportunities to study abroad where she traveled to schools in Costa Rica and Peru. While finishing her undergraduate studies in 2016, Heidi was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and served as an English Teaching Assistant at an English Teacher Training College in Formosa, Argentina.
In only her 3rd year of teaching, Heidi has emerged as one of the most impactful educators in our community. This spring, she was recognized as being District 203’s “Those Who Excel” All-Star Team as the Outstanding Early Educator. While always striving to put the needs of her students first, she collaborates with her team to accurately assess student learning needs and implement individualized lessons for each student. Heidi faces and overcomes unique challenges such as cultural differences, language barriers (with both students and parents) as well as emotional challenges, including helping a student with a life threatening illness and families in crisis. Heidi is unique in her ability to ignite a love of learning and teaching among everyone at Mill Street Elementary. Her students make incredible academic progress and enjoy the journey.
Heidi is active in leading and sharing instructional strategies about best practices. She has attended several out of district professional development opportunities that have then required her to present the new material to her peers in the dual language program at Mill Street. She recently presented at the Annual Statewide Conference for Teachers Serving Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students. Heidi even attended a home visit with another teacher to help communicate with the parents and bridge the gap between school and home for a structure learning student in her class.
This summer, Heidi is very excited to be traveling to Europe and to begin her journey pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Dual Language Teacher Leadership. Knowing the outstanding quality of Naperville educators, Heidi is very humbled and grateful to be recognized for the Distinguished Service Award for Educator.
Student Volunteer – Isha Srinivasan
Isha is a senior at Naperville North High School. As a sophomore, she started the Computer Science Club, Girls STEM Innovation Camp, and the STEM Exploration Days at the Alive Center and is a strong advocate for teens, especially girls, in STEM. She is also the President of the Alive Teen Advisory Board and the President of the National Honors Society. She is on the Naperville North volleyball team, Air Band and the Bowling Team. Isha also participates in DECA and Spanish National Honors Society at Naperville North. During her three years volunteering at the Alive Center she delivered a 43% increase in knowledge of STEM topics and a 66% increase in girls’ confidence in pursuing STEM in the future. She has led the STEM Exploration Days, introducing over 1,500 community members to STEM. Isha is excited to attend University of California at Berkeley in the fall.
Public Employee – Paul Felstrup
Born to Naperville residents Carl and Charlene in 1957, Paul Felstrup has amassed nearly 40 years of varied experience in construction while contributing selflessly to his community. Paul, his wife Mary Jo and their children came back to Naperville in 1980 after he graduated from Augustana and began his professional career. He started with Naperville’s Transportation, Engineering and Development Department in 2002 and through his time there and his almost countless acts of selflessness; Paul Felstrup has become an invaluable piece of the Naperville cityscape.
Business – Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant
Three and a half years ago, Sandy and Matt Rocush, along with Rod Peterson, were approached with the opportunity to purchase Pepe’s Restaurant and Cantina in Naperville – known as “The Can.” Sandy manages the bar, while Matt oversees the restaurant and also most of the marketing and catering aspects of the business. Rod takes care of the critical financial parts of the business, including payroll, taxes, insurance, and more.
They knew they wanted to own a restaurant, but they have been so much more than a successful establishment. Their spirit of family is abundant in everything that they do. From the staff that have decades of faithful allegiance, to the events and contributions to charities and nonprofits, to the relationships they have made with numerous groups and organizations, their family-like spirit is palpable and has made them more than just a Naperville institution, but rather an important part of the family that is Naperville.
Non-Profit Leader – Ryan Dowd
Ryan Dowd first served as a volunteer at Hesed House at the age of 13. He joined the staff there while still in college and, in 2004, Dowd was appointed Executive Director. He served in this role for nearly a decade, before moving to Washington D.C. to found the Center for Faith and Human Rights, where he focused on assisting human rights activists in repressive countries. He also served as Executive Director at Ayuda, serving vulnerable immigrants in Washington D.C., Virginia and Maryland with legal, social and language services before resuming his role as Executive Director at Hesed House in 2016.
Dowd is a passionate advocate for ending homelessness and regularly travels the country training employees of libraries and other public facilities on how to work compassionately with individuals who are homeless. Dowd has authored a book titled, The Librarian’s Guide to Homeless: An Empathy-Driven Approach to Solving Problems, Preventing Conflict, and Serving Everyone, and recently served as an expert consultant to director, Emilio Estevez, on the making of the new movie, The Public.
Dowd holds a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from North Central College and both a master’s degree in public administration and a law degree from Northern Illinois University. In 2011, he was awarded North Central College’s Alumni Recognition Award and in 2013 he received the Outstanding Alumni Award from NIU’s Division of Public Administration. The City of Aurora designated August 27, 2013, as “Ryan Dowd Day” and U.S. Congressman Bill Foster recognized Dowd in the U.S. House of Representatives that same year for his work at Hesed House. Dowd and his wife, Krissie, have two children.
Healthcare Professional – Dr. Aaron Weiner
Aaron Weiner, PhD, ABPP is a board-certified Psychologist and the Director of Addiction Services at Linden Oaks Behavioral Health. He earned his doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and completed his fellowship in Addiction Psychology at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. He is a strong advocate for evidencebased care in treating chemical dependency and behavioral addictions, as well as a proponent of integrating behavioral health services into medical settings.
Through the Medication Assisted Therapy Clinic in Naperville, Dr. Weiner and his team work with patients who want to discontinue the use of heroin and prescription painkillers, by prescribing Suboxone; a drug that binds to the same receptors in the brain that opioids do, but blocks withdrawal symptoms, reduces cravings and prevents effects of any additional opioids that may be taken. In addition, patients receive group therapy and case management to address emotional and psychological issues behind the opioid use. Dr. Weiner has also championed the promotion and distribution of Naloxone; a drug that reverses an opioid overdose for 30-90 minutes before medical intervention. His trainings have helped educate the community and broader public about the opioid epidemic, how stigma impacts the death toll, and what each of us can do about it.
Dr. Weiner is passionate about educating both healthcare providers and the general public about the nature and treatment of addiction — helping medical teams provide compassionate, competent care, and empowering patients to be informed consumers about their addiction treatment options. Dr. Weiner is a member of the Board for the Society of Addiction Psychology and on the Science Advisory Board for Smart Approaches to Marijuana.
Community Leader – Dennise Vaughn
Dennise Vaughn has been passionate about making a difference through service and leadership for more than 35 years. She started her leadership journey as her high school class president and has been on a board, committee or served as volunteer ever since then. As a leader, she loves to bring people together, organize them, and focus on each person’s strength as a way to achieve group excellence. She makes things happen by turning thoughts into actions. She has a strong need to achieve and a great deal of energy and stamina.
Dennise is currently the President and Administrator of Homewatch Caregivers, a home care company in Naperville, offering services to help clients of all ages who need help supporting the quality of their life. She often shares with her team Warren Buffet’s philosophy, that success equals love and we should think and act selflessly without expecting anything in return, chose a culture of love, work on the “Platinum Rule” to treat others the way they want to be treated and always do what you love.
Dennise spent 23 years at Edward-Elmhurst Health, where she held numerous leadership roles including Vice President of Corporate Resources and Operations. She led management of corporate strategic planning, business development, market research, clinical service lines, and human resources for the system. She credits the leadership at Edward with supporting her passion for community service and giving her multiple opportunities to serve on local boards as part of Edward’s commitment to the community.
Dennise has served in numerous board leadership roles including the Naperville Education Foundation, the Naperville Heritage Society, the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, Voluntary Hospitals of America, KidsMatter, Multi-Cultural Leadership Academy, Chicago Area Healthcare Planning and Marketing Association, and the DuPage Community Clinic. She was the American College of Healthcare Executives Young Executive of the Year in 1995.
She is currently on the boards of Metropolitan Family Services DuPage, Naperville Elderly Homes, President-Elect for Naperville-Lisle Triad, and President-Elect for the Association of Senior Service Providers. In her free time, Dennise loves to travel with husband and four children and has visited over 25 countries and counting.
Charles “Chuck” Bueche Lifetime Achievement Award – Patti Boheme
Patti Boheme, M.S., L.C.P.C, has served the Little Friends mission for over 37 years, starting as a Behavioral Specialist and progressively becoming Principal for Krejci Academy, Division Director for Community Day Services, Vice President for Children’s Services and, finally, Executive Vice President for the Little Friends Center for Autism.
During the course of her long, distinguished and hands-on career, Patti has led the development of numerous service models for children and adults and authored a number of visual training systems that are used to teach individuals with autism and developmental disabilities every day tasks, in a variety of settings. Patti founded the Little Friends Center for Autism 15 years ago; welcoming children in need of autism evaluation and a comprehensive treatment strategy tailored to the strengths and needs of each child. Through social skills groups, applied behavior analysis, speech therapy and more, the Little Friends Center for Autism has flourished under Patti’s leadership and affected the lives of hundreds of children and their families.
Patti’s focus on quality and outcomes has ensured that her programs move people to real independence. She has always believed that she can’t be an effective administrator without providing services herself, so in addition to leading others, Patti has always carried a caseload of clients and has valued the opportunity to work across the entire autism spectrum, with all variety of age groups. Patti believes in empowering parents, educators, and community partners to help them better understand, and therefore better respond, to individuals with autism. As a consultant to the schools, police departments, and other professional settings, Patti has personally trained hundreds of special education staff and first responders.
As a tireless advocate for autism, Patti was appointed by the Governor to the Illinois Autism Task Force at its inception in 2004. In that role, she has lobbied for children to be diagnosed at an earlier age and is working on a bill to expand Medicaid coverage for the treatment of autism. Patti was a featured speaker selected to address legislators in Springfield on World Autism Day this past April 2.
For as many years as the Charles “Chuck” Buesche Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented to honor one of the club’s founding members, Audrey Buesche has been recognized and photographed with the highly-distinguished award winner every year.
Congratulations with gratitude to Audrey Buesche who recalls when Patti Boheme began her long career at Little Friends, making a difference every day.
The Naperville Jaycees are a nonprofit service organization dedicated to personal development through community service. The group organizes fundraisers and community events such as Naperville’s Last Fling, Lobster Day, Easter Egg Hunt and the Distinguished Service Awards. Over the years, countless non-profit organizations in Naperville and throughout DuPage County have received more than two million dollars of donated proceeds from Naperville Jaycees fundraising events and efforts. For more information on the Naperville Jaycees, and how to join, visit www.naperjaycees.org.
