Batavia Chamber announces Citizens of the Year award winners

The Batavia Chamber of Commerce announced Dec. 6 that Dave and Marge Brown are the 2023 Batavia Citizens of the Year.

Margaret Perreault, president and CEO of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce, said in a news release that the committee chose worthy award winners.

”I am thrilled to acknowledge Dave and Marge Brown as the 2023 Batavia Citizens of the Year,“ Perreault said. “Their enduring dedication to Batavia, demonstrated through years of selfless volunteering, is truly inspiring. Together, they have left an indelible mark on Batavia and I am delighted that they will be honored as Citizens of the Year.

“Dave’s transformative contributions to downtown development and Marge’s dedicated work in education, community connections and philanthropy are exemplary.”

When it comes to volunteering, Dave and Marge Brown are a power couple. Individually, they’ve worked on an extensive list of projects that benefit Batavia. More recently, they’ve served the community together, including both joining the Batavia Rotary Club and actively participating in the fundraising and building of the Flag Day Monument in downtown Batavia, according to the release.

“The two of them have a longstanding history of wanting to serve Batavia and be involved in everything that’s of importance to the community,” Batavia Mayor Jeffery Schielke said. “They are also strongly committed to the idea of the family and making Batavia a worthwhile place to live and raise a family.”

Batavia RSVP was named the 2023 Spirit of Batavia award honoree.

The Batavia Community Impact Award will be given to the Fox Valley Patriotic Organization and the Batavia Flag Day Committee.