A man who has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to DeKalb County organizations and entities throughout the world was honored during the 109th Sycamore Chamber of Commerce annual meeting on Thursday.

In front of hundreds of business leaders and city officials who gave him a standing ovation on Thursday inside the St. Mary’s Memorial Hall, Douglas C. Roberts was awarded the 2025 Clifford Danielson Outstanding Citizen Award.

“Sycamore has been good to me,” Roberts, whose family founded DeKalb Ag, said.

Roberts also emphasised that philanthropy doesn’t have to start from a bank account.

“Sycamore is a place that gets things done,” Roberts said. ”Charity doesn’t have to be big dollars. It can be big ideas that start small, or thoughtful ideas that need to be well communicated. And charity is not just about money, it can be about your time, your talents, your expertise."

He was introduced by DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas, who previously served as city manager in Sycamore for years, and Tom Matya, executive director of Opportunity House. They said Roberts spent years working to bring local nonprofit organizations together.

Matya, who made sure the audience understood that it had taken years to convince Roberts to accept the award, began his introductory speech by saying, “Finally.”

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Andrew Miller, branch manager at Old National Bank, accepts the Outstanding Business Award on behalf of the bank Thursday, March 5, 2026, during the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting in Memorial Hall at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sycamore. (Mark Busch)

Roberts has donated to charitable efforts locally, nationally and internationally.

Matya said when a 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, triggering the Dec. 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami, Roberts provided support to those impacted. Around 230,000 people died because of that catastrophe, The Associated Press reported.

Eight months later, Roberts helped domestically after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. That hurricane was responsible for nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damage, according to The AP.

“[Roberts] personally toured multiple states, and he provided funding for multiple nonprofits to rebuild themselves,” Matya said. “He did the same thing after the tornadoes in 2011 in Joplin.”

Matya also credited Roberts with helping DeKalb County residents who were left homeless after a 2019 fire at the St. Albans Green apartment complex, 711 S. Main St. in Sycamore.

After an EF-4 Tornado decimated Fairdale in 2015 – killing two Fairdale residents, Geraldine Schultz, 67, and Jacklyn K. Klosa, 69, and injuring 22 others who were in its path – Roberts stepped in to help, Matya said.

Nicklas also spoke about what he said was “Doug’s critical support for the recovery effort for Fairdale in 2015.”

“At that time, literally hundreds of thousands of dollars was needed to construct a community-wide sewer system,” Nicklas said. “There’s a lot more to that story than I will not go into today.”

Roberts comes from a lineage of community philanthropists.

His parents, Charles and Mary Roberts, established the DeKalb County Community Foundation in 1993. That gift to the community has grown to 475 charitable funds worth more than $75 million in assets.

“That’s kind of a hard act to follow, but I would say over the past 25 years, Doug and his wife Lynn have funded well over a hundred nonprofit organizations with their own funds, which amounted to millions of dollars,” Matya said.

Sycamore Chamber Executive Director RoseMarie Treml said Roberts “is a thoughtful, forward-moving thinker whose influence can be felt across Sycamore and DeKalb County.”

“He leads with intention, he invests with purpose and he serves not for recognition, but because he believes deeply in the future of this community,” Treml said.

Roberts wasn’t the only person honored at the annual chamber event, however.

Tom & Jerry’s to reopen at new spot Saturday

Sarah Meyer, married couple Diann Beaulieu and Tom Beaulieu, and Josh Osenga – the people behind Tom & Jerry’s and Catering by Diann – received a standing ovation on Thursday.

They catered the annual event five weeks after the building that housed their longtime businesses at 1670 DeKalb Ave. was destroyed by fire on Jan. 31.

Treml drew attention to their work at the end of the chamber event, prompting hundreds to stand and applaud Meyer, Diann Beaulieu and Tom Beaulieu and Josh Osenga, bringing them to tears.

Tom & Jerry’s will reopen in a temporary location at 11 a.m. on Saturday at 265 W. Peace Road.

“You are moving forward with resilience, heart, and the same commitment you have always shown us,” Treml said.

Other businesses honored

Other business owners and community leaders were also honored by the Chamber on Thursday.

Nicole Patterson of Resource Bank and Country Financial’s Chris Patterson were honored as the joint winners of the Chamber Champion award. The award is given to a chamber member who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to the success of the chamber and the broader community.

“I’m very rarely at a loss for words, but I was truly speechless when Rose and Ashlee called to tell me I had been selected as a Sycamore Chamber Champion this year,” Nicole Patterson said.

Sycamore Orthodontics & Pediatric Denistry was named the winner of the Sycamore Chamber’s Spirit of Small Business award. Heather Martines and Sarah Buie said they were honored to accept the award on behalf of their employer.

“As a family-owned practice, this community isn’t just where we work: it’s home,” Matines said. “We are raising our families here, supporting other local businesses here, and caring for the child and families who trust us every single day.”

Old National Bank won the Outstanding Business Award, which is given to a Sycamore Chamber business that exemplifies integrity, leadership and long-term commitment to the community. Andrew Miller, branch manager for the downtown Sycamore’s location, accepted the award.

“Even in a large organization, we still have the heart of a community bank, and we’re proud of the inclusive culture that brings out our best,” Miller said.

Chris Mayer and Windows Distillery won the chamber’s Community Diamond Award. That award is given to a chamber member who recently invested and improved their business in a way that reflects a meaningful commitment to the Sycamore community.

He said that Windows Distillery will open a tasting room in Sycamore in 2026, but didn’t give an opening date.

“That is going to happen, and we look forward to everyone being there,” Mayer said. “If you haven’t tried our whiskey yet, don’t worry, we’ll fix that soon. I wanted to bring it here today, but you know, liquor laws.”