Naperville’s bicentennial might still be a little more than five years away, but planning for the milestone is expected to get underway early in 2026. The first step: selecting a chairperson who will helm the myriad of events and activities tied into the commemorative, celebratory event.
The big milestone will be reached in 2031, 200 years after Joseph Naper settled along the banks of the DuPage River and began laying the foundation for what today is Illinois’ third largest city.
Recent city council action gets process up and running
In a unanimous vote, the city council on Tuesday, Nov. 18, voted to “receive,” or signify its acceptance, of a bicentennial framework report that a panel of city staffers assembled.
The municipal employees who compiled and contributed to the document are part of an Emerging Leaders Program within city government.
“The 46-page report offers recommendations on key aspects of the celebration, including committee structure, fundraising, marketing, risk management, capital projects, and special events,” said Tammy Spencer, a Naperville Police Department sergeant who is part of the Emerging Leaders Program.
Behind the scenes, Spencer and others involved indicated a number of processes went into assembling the report, including researching and interviewing.
“The use of the term ‘framework’ was intentional, serving as a flexible guide and resource document for those who will be planning, funding, and executing the celebration of the city’s bicentennial,” Marcie Schatz, assistant to the city manager, wrote in a memo. She served as the project manager of the framework report.
Bicentennial chairperson to be ‘a proven leader’
Schatz and others involved in the preliminary stages of the bicentennial said the selection of a chairperson will be an important first step in advancing planning to the next level.
“An ideal chairperson will be a proven leader who is organized, open-minded, can easily delegate, has a broad and diverse network of contacts, and who is passionate about the Naperville community,” Schatz said,
Applicants for the volunteer position must be a current city resident and cannot be a seated elected official, based on the framework.
“While the city is initiating the step of selecting a chairperson, the goal of the bicentennial celebration is not government-driven, but instead embraces the ‘celebration of a community by the community’ spirit of previous Naperville milestones,” Schatz said.
Prior to the council’s recent vote, Mayor Scott Wehrli suggested having multiple people involved in leadership to ensure planning progresses without any hiccups if one person had to step down along the way.
“If you’ve got two spectacular applicants — or maybe even three particular applicants that you want to put in place — it gives you a little more latitude than just one,” Wehrli said.
In addition to approving the framework document, the council gave city staffers the green light to undertake the process of selecting the chairperson(s).
Based on the timeline presented, the search process is expected to commence shortly after the new year, with a formal request for applicants getting underway Monday, Jan. 5, and all interested prospects submitting materials to the city by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13. Reviews and interviews will follow, and plans call for naming a chair in April.
Residents weigh in on bicentennial planning process
Bill Simon, president of Naperville Preservation Inc., was one of multiple residents who spoke to the council about the planning getting underway.
“Naperville Preservation has a unique ability to help in this effort,” Simon said. “We have members that are steadfast supporters of our history. We have a wide email and social media audience who are already big fans of Naperville’s history and huge fans of our city, so we’re uniquely positioned to add to the celebration planning.”
Fellow resident Mary Lou Wehrli also spoke to the council about the abundant opportunities the bicentennial could present. She expressed hope a broad array of perspectives will be shared about Naperville’s history.
“I believe we always have much to learn from each other,” she said. “We move on together.”
Resident Marilyn Schweitzer, meanwhile, called for transparency whenever the forthcoming bicentennial committee holds meetings.
“I fear that too much will be undocumented and out of the public view, too similarly to how public art has been and continues to be managed,” Schweitzer said. “Meeting agendas, meeting dates, and meeting minutes should be well announced and publicly documented. The public should be invited to be involved.”
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