Project Acclaim honors city of Joliet arborist Jim Teiber

Project Acclaim has selected city of Joliet arborist Jim Teiber as the second-quarter recipient of the Reverend James E. Allen Award for Service to the Community.

This award recognizes individuals or organizations who have had a growing effect on the community by performing actions above and beyond the usual call of duty and by performing actions that have improved the quality of life of our residents.

Project Acclaim selected Teiber for his transformative beautification efforts that employ flowers, plants, trees and other enhancements that draw the attention not only from Project Acclaim but from residents.

“The downtown looks amazing this year with the vibrant flower baskets and pots,” Jan Nahorski of Project Acclaim said in a news release. “These colors have literally and figuratively brightened up our community, which has been ever more important during this pandemic.”

Teiber accepted the award at the Canadian National Ecoconnexions – America In Bloom Gateway Beautification Grant Celebration event Sept. 10.

At the event, Teiber noted that long before the onset of the pandemic, he started the process to change things up in downtown Joliet.

“I sought out colors that would play off the orange of the Joliet Slammers, and I attempted to go bigger and bolder," Teiber said in the release.

Teiber has worked for the city of Joliet for 25 years. He has a bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University in urban forestry and landscape design.

In his role as city arborist, Jim serves as the city’s liaison to the city Tree Board. Teiber has secured several grants to promote forestry and beautification efforts in Joliet.

These include a $14,000 grant from the Morton Arboretum for $25,000, a grant from Canadian National to enhance entrances to the city and a $25,000 grant from Canadian National to reforest the parkways and parks in the Forest Park neighborhood.

He currently is working on a grant to conduct a street tree inventory. He also implemented the city’s Plant-to-Grow contract, which has since been modeled in other communities.

Teiber and his wife, Shannon, have four children age 7 and younger. He has served as site leader with the Saluting Branches program at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery for the past six years.

For information about Project Acclaim, visit projectacclaim.org.