By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
About 100 people gathered in the Normandy Room at the Elmhurst American Legion on Tuesday, April 25 to honor Elmhurst resident and long-time community leader Bill Shanklin as he was awarded the 65th Annual Distinguished Service Award (DSA) given by the Elmhurst Jaycees.
DSA Chairperson Katie Cullen welcomed everyone to the dinner and introduced John Wendel who offered the Invocation. Shanklin and his family, including his two daughters who were grinning with pride all evening, sat at the head table. The program included the following speakers: John R. Quigley, Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Ken Bartels, Community Bank of Elmhurst (CBE), Mike Kopp, City of Elmhurst, and Rich Reichert, also of CBE.
All previous DSA recipients were invited to the front of the room for a round of applause.
Reichert summed up the high regards for Shanklin in his speech: “Bill is truly one of a kind. He is the person who cares about his family, his friends and his community . He is kind but not afraid to be direct when he feels strongly about something. Bill Shanklin epitomizes what the Elmhurst Jaycees Distinguished Service Award represents.”
Bill Fergus, current president of the Elmhurst Jaycees, presented the award to Shanklin, who then had an opportunity to address the room himself.