Citizen of the Year Committee
Members
Bonnie Kucera(Chairman)
Linda Borowiak
Lana Johnson
Carol Mallers
Tracy Thomson Johnson
Mary Sullivan (City Council Liaison)
Goal
The Citizen of the year Committee is searching for a very special man or woman who has given of themselves to make Darien a "Nice Place to Live"! If you know of a person who goes "above and beyond the call of duty" ... is always there when someone needs a hand ... and who has contributed to make Darien a special place, please fill out the Nomination Form below. It is strongly suggested that as much detail about your nominee is provided. If additional space is needed, please use the Adobe Acrobat format option.
January 21, 2025
Our city's motto is "Darien is a Nice Place to live" and it takes many people who believe in this adage to make it so. This year, we are honoring John Galan as our 2025 Citizen of the Year.
John gives freely of his time and talents to so many causes within and outside the City of Darien. His willingness to be available to serve and help others frequently proves he is truly a role model for all to follow. We hope you can join us with your family, friends and colleagues to celebrate John's accomplishments at our annual recognition.
This year the city will also be recognizing its 2025 Service and Volunteer Club and Organization honorees for their countless hours of service and dedication:
Jean Szwaya, Darien's Woman's Club; Bill Christenson, Darien Lions Club; Brian Arquilla, Darien Youth Club (DYC); Randy May, Darien Rotary Club and John Bruner, Darien Business Alliance; Yvonne Mlynarczyk, Darien Garden Club.
Our dinner/dance honoring our honorees will take place on:
Friday, February 28, 2025
Alpine Banquets, 8230 S. Cass Avenue; Darien
Cocktails 6 pm/ Dinner 7 pm
The $52.00 per person cost includes a full 7-course dinner, 3-hours of open bar, music and dancing. For reservations, please contact Diane directly at Darien City Hall at 630-353-8102. Please specify the full names of those attending and if there are specific individuals you wish to be seated with at the event. The dinner will be family-style with the main portion comprised of roasted pork tenderloin, Alpine Chicken and pasta with marinara sauce. Checks should be made out to the City of Darien and mailed to: City of Darien, Attention: Citizen of the Year Committee, 1702 Plainfield Road; Darien, lflinois, 60561 or deliver it to the location. Cash is also accepted. Credit cards are not. City Hall is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5 pm. There is a secure drop box inside the vestibule of City Hall Offices for off-hour convenience. RSVP and payment should be received no later than Thursday, February 20th.
The Darien City Council will be honoring John on Tuesday, February 18th with a resolution declared in his honor. They will also acknowledge our service and volunteer honorees. The meeting starts at 7:30 pm. All are invited to attend.
We hope you will be able to join us recognizing our honorees and all they have done to make
"Darien A Nice Place to live."
Sincerely,
Joseph A. Marchese
Mayor, City of Darien
Nomination of 2025 Citizen of the Year
The extent of our nominee’s activities goes beyond the city making our nominee not only a shining star in Darien but surrounding communities. Do you ever notice how one person’s name frequently and most often appears on volunteer lists? And this same person can be counted on for last minute “asks” and without fail, always comes through? There is a definition for this willingness – it’s called “johnny on the spot”. It is defined by someone who is prompt, reliable, responsible and readily available as needed. Therefore, it is with honor and great pleasure to nominate to the City Council the name of:
John M. Galan
as our choice for the 2025 Citizen of the Year
John and his wife Helen have been residents of Darien for 40 plus years … and has been active in Darien for that same amount of time. Their children Robert M. and Antonia Clare were reared in Darien and now with their grandchildren frequent Darien’s many activities and festivals. John is a proud veteran of the United States Air Force and served as a city alderman from 2005 to 2009. He and Helen are parishioners of Our Lady of Peace Church in Darien.
John is most active with the Darien Lions Club. Having been a member for 30 years, he has served as President, in the roles as 1st, 2nd and 3rd Vice President, Tail Twister, Director/Committee Liaison and Past President. He has chaired the committees: Big Raffle, Darenfest Beer Tent, Pancake Breakfast, Brick Patio program, Meeting/Meals committee, Foundation Advisory Committee, Nominations Committee, the Walk for Sight program, 4th of July Parade, Community Halloween Party and for the past 12 years has chaired the Food Basket Program. As a proud veteran he recently became a route captain for the Foundation’s Flag program. He also has headed up the hot dog grilling team for city concerts, the DYC parade and the City and Historical Society’s tree lighting event. And astonishingly fact, he has had perfect attendance at all Lions meetings for 22 years! This past December, the food basket program distributed 243 baskets of food to deserving families along with 1,600 age-appropriate toys and gifts. John is also a liaison to Westmont, Willowbrook, Woodridge, Hinsdale and Downers Grove to coordinate with their Lion Clubs to span efforts to make sure all families are identified for their needs. He coordinates with the Darien Park District for the use of space in their facilities for set up and distribution. When funds ran low or funding programs were depleted, John found monetary ways and replacements to keep this valued program running. To establish the Brick Patio Program, John worked with the Darien Park District to find a locale. It is now part of the Darien Community Park. It involved advertising and working with other community clubs and organizations for their involvement and its success.
All these programs that John has chaired or been on the driving committee have financially brought thousands of dollars into our community and those less fortunate served by the church, community groups, schools and local government.
John has been recognized by the Darien Lions Club with historic landmark awards: In 2009 John was named Lion of the Year; in 2017 presented the Lifetime Achievement and Melvin Jones Fellows and in 2018 the Lions District 1-J George Lazansky Award. He also was presented with the Lions of Illinois Foundation award. His service to the club is an outgrowth of his dedication to the Darien Community and his belief that one needs to show appreciation for his/her community through service. His list of community involvement spans church. civic and athletic groups and his role has often been that of a leader in each group in which he's been involved. Through all these accolades, John is best identified as the person who is always working in the background in order to get the job done. A quote from one of the nominators noted he was a “bonus citizen” and a “go to kind of guy”. And from the 2025 Citizen of the Year Committee, he is Darien’s “johnny on the spot”.
As much as John enjoys everything he does, his fun times include spending time riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle in the outdoor countryside areas of the surrounding states. He and his cycle always can be seen in every Darien and surrounding communities’ parades. He is an avid golfer, loves brewing beer, going fishing and cooking delicious family meals. As quoted by Bob Marley: Love the Life you live – Live the life you love.
John Galan’s tireless commitment, efforts and positive influence makes him an exemplary choice for this prestigious recognition.
Indeed, John is and will continue to be one of the many shining stars in Darien making
Darien “a Nice Place to Live”.
By City Ordinance, the committee shall follow the following criteria in recommending the citizen of the year:
The citizen of the year shall have made some outstanding voluntary contribution(s) to the city. Criteria to be considered shall include:
-
Diversity of activities
-
Length of service
-
Degree of involvement in the community
-
Impact to the city
A nominee must be a resident of Darien and cannot currently be an elected official. The deadline for nominations to be considered for the current year is Monday, January 6, 2025 at 5pm.
Citizen of the Year Nomination Form
Nominations are closed.