A couple whose deep love of Batavia and a commitment to its betterment were named the 2023 Batavia Citizens of the Year (COTY) today. The Batavia Chamber of Commerce will honor Dave and Marge Brown on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at the Chamber’s Inspire 2023: A Celebration of Those Who Inspire Us! annual awards event.
Margaret Perreault, president and CEO of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce, commented that once again, the committee chose worthy award winners.
“I am thrilled to acknowledge Dave and Marge Brown as the 2023 Batavia Citizens of the Year,” stated Margaret. “Their enduring dedication to Batavia, demonstrated through years of selfless volunteering is truly inspiring. Together, they have left an indelible mark on Batavia, and I am delighted that they will be honored as Citizens of the Year.
“Dave’s transformative contributions to downtown development and Marge’s dedicated work in education, community connections, and philanthropy are exemplary,” she continued. “Their love for Batavia is not only evident in their actions but also in the positive impact they have had on the lives of those they serve and serve with. Marge and Dave have not only shaped our community, but also touched the hearts of everyone fortunate enough to know them.”
When it comes to volunteering, Dave and Marge Brown are a power couple. Individually, they’ve worked on an extensive list of projects that benefit Batavia and Batavians. More recently, they’ve served the community together, including both joining the Batavia Rotary Club and actively participating in the fundraising and building of the Flag Day Monument in downtown Batavia.
“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,” commented Batavia Mayor Jeffery Schielke. “They are also strongly committed to the idea of the family and making Batavia a worthwhile place to live and raise a family.”
Marge and Dave have a blended family that is made up of children from each of their previous marriages as well as Katie, who is the daughter they had together. Dave’s children are Layla, who has three children, a boy and two girls; Danielle, who has one son, and Brad who has one daughter. Marge’s daughter, Melissa, is married to Phil Gerber and the pair are parents to a daughter and a son. After having met in the old downtown Batavia Jewel Food Store through an introduction by a mutual acquaintance while each were shopping, Marge and Dave married in 1987.
Each deems the other’s accomplishments as more noteworthy.
Dave, who is a sixth generation Batavian, worked in construction until his retirement three years ago. Following in the footsteps of his father, Robert (Bob) Brown who served as an alderman and mayor for Batavia, Dave served 22 years as a Batavia alderman before serving one term on the Kane County Board.
Marge grew up in St. Charles but moved to Batavia after taking a position as a second-grade teacher at Alice Gustafson Grade School in Batavia. During her teaching career, she taught first, second, third, fourth grades and at New Horizons Preschool at the Batavia Park District.
During Dave’s tenure as an alderman, downtown Batavia saw a transformation. While he was working with a concrete company, Dave had the opportunity to work on a streetscape in Plainfield. He, along with fellow alderman Michael O’Brien, brought the idea back to Batavia to renovate North River Street into the woonerf that exists today, making it into a community gathering space to host the Batavia Farmers’ Market, events and more.
Other major downtown projects that Dave was heavily involved with were the Batavia Riverwalk beautification project and bike trails through downtown Batavia as well as the Batavia Boardwalk Shops alongside Bob Hansen and Tony Malay. According to Laura Newman, Batavia city administrator, Dave 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 wrote in a nomination letter. “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.”
As Dave explains, he likes to build things while Marge likes to talk and connect people. Marge currently serves a co-chair for the Batavia Foundation for Educational Excellence with Ginny Gaspar. She is active in the granting of funds to teachers in the Batavia School District 101 to support curricular initiatives, and also worked to develop Bulldog Alumni Nation and Friends to connect BPS alumni and community members throughout the region and beyond.
Marge has also been a long-standing volunteer for the Fox Valley Food for Health nonprofit, which promotes a nutrition focused community by educating teens and serving those struggling with a health crisis. Marge helped with cooking classes and delivered healthy food to families who have a member undergoing treatment for cancer or another illness. Many times, she served as a “counselor” to family members as she visited them weekly with their meals, making her a real “delivery angel.”
Other groups that have benefited from Marge’s expertise and compassion include the Batavia Woman’s Club and the Batavia Philanthropic Educators Organization (P.E.O.), both of which she is a longtime member and contributor. She currently is chair of the P.E.O.’s scholarship and local projects committees.
In more recent years, the pair have looked for volunteer opportunities together to share their love of Batavia. They both joined the Batavia Rotary Club and serve on the Environmental committee together. They also combined their respective expertise to help fundraise and build the Flag Day Monument.
In her nomination letter, Batavia City Administrator Laura Newman commented that while the monument was being constructed, Dave was out there daily, making certain that “every single element of that beautiful tribute to the symbol of our nation was done with excellence.
“I am sure Dave is a big part of why construction was completed in time for the gala and unveiling – both momentous occasions that will be remembered for years to come,” she added.
“Dave and Marge are pillars of our community and exemplify the qualities that the Citizen of the Year Award represents – kindness, leadership, and a genuine desire to improve the lives of those around them,” wrote Tom Kim, superintendent, and Holly Deitchman, communications manager, on behalf of Batavia Public School District 101. “Their tireless efforts have made Batavia a more vibrant, caring, and connected place to live.”
As to Marge and Dave’s reaction to being named 2023 Batavia Citizens of the Year, they said that they love Batavia, calling it a community that “we’re extremely proud of.”
“I don’t feel that I do any more than most people in this community,” commented Marge. “I look around me and there are so many people that do so much, and I feel like I’m just one of them. I don’t think I stand out, but I do see so many good things going on that I’d like to be involved with, if only I had more time.”
Dave commented that he wants “to make a difference” and give back to the community. “I just like being involved in the camaraderie that you build with other people that you’re volunteering with.”
“When you volunteer, you surround yourself with good people,” concluded Dave.
