Naperville is seeking two people to help lead the city’s 2031 Bicentennial Committee as planning for the city’s 200th anniversary gets under way.
Applications to fill the bicentennial co-chair positions are due Feb. 13, with the selections expected to be made in May.
Responsibilities for the unpaid, volunteer jobs include fundraising, organizing community events and projects, marketing, and selecting volunteers to sit on bicentennial subcommittees. Co-chairs must be Naperville residents and may not currently hold an elected government position.
“Really, we’re looking for the two co-chairs to be … passionate about Naperville,” Deputy City Manager Pam Gallahue said. “We want them to love the community, to really embrace the celebration and to just really jump in with both feet.”
Founded in 1831 along the banks of the DuPage River by Joseph Naper, the city has grown significantly since its days as a settlement. What started as a small agrarian community is now the third largest city in Illinois, and one that consistently ranks as one of the best places to live and raise a family in America in national assessments.
Many factors contributed to Naperville’s growth, from the establishment of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad line through Naperville in 1864 — the first railroad to connect Chicago to the Mississippi River — to the economic contributions of companies like Kroehler Manufacturing Co., one of the country’s largest furniture-makers in the 20th century, and AT&T Bell Laboratories in the 1950s and 1960s, officials said.
“(The co-chairs) are going to be making their mark and helping plan the city’s 200th birthday. Who wouldn’t want to be involved in that?” Gallahue said.
“Naperville is such a giving community. We have such a great volunteer spirit … I think that people are going to want to dive in, they’re going to want to help and be involved and be able to put their mark on Naperville history.”
In November, the Naperville City Council approved the bicentennial framework, a 46-page report with guidelines and suggestions for planning the 200th anniversary.
“We put together the framework so we’ve seen what other municipalities have done to do their celebrations. Some may work for us, some may not,” Gallahue said.
The framework, developed over the course of 18 months, suggested a few ideas for possible festivities, like “200 trees for 200 years” and a celebration for Centennial Beach, which will also be commemorating 100 years in 2031.
But nothing is set in stone so far, Gallahue said.
“I don’t think that there is one idea that the city has right now that we would really want to pursue. I think everything is on the table, and we’re very open to listening to what the co-chairs have to say,” Gallahue said.
The city’s 200th anniversary also coincides with the riverwalk’s 50th anniversary. Created in 1981 for the city’s 150th anniversary, the 1.75 mile Naperville Riverwalk will see multiple improvement projects to transform the space by 2031. Some of those projects, such as the Paddleboat Quarry and revamped Eagle Street Gateway, have already been completed. Projects slated for 2026 include construction on the South Gateway and creation of a park space at 430 S. Washington St. near Burger King.
Those interested in becoming co-chairs can find application guidelines at https://www.naperville.il.us/bicentennial.