11 minute read
Cover story
from DC_Midweek_101222
by Shaw Media
COVER STORY LONGTIME LEADER LEAVING
‘Visionary’ Brian Reis, a fixture at Ellwood House for decades, retires as executive director
By CAMDEN LAZENBY
clazenby@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – Longtime leader of the historic Ellwood House in DeKalb said goodbye to his executive director job recently after his 12-year run saw more than $1 million raised and the Nehring House brought back under the proprietorship of the historic facility.
Reis said it’ll be hard to leave the museum supporters in the DeKalb area, but he’s proud of the restoration work he’s completed at the mansion.
“We put new roofs on buildings, really good preservation campaigns, and for the mansion itself we did this historic structures report, which is this really hefty document that looks at ... the total package of the building to see how it was developed historically, how it’s used today and then how to restore it in the right manner,” Reis said. “That was a two-year deal right there, just to have that document created by a team of preservationists.”
The Ellwood House’s accomplishments, preservation initiatives and respect from the community accumulated during Reis’ tenure, but esteem for the local heritage site wasn’t the only positive outcome he created during his time. Jerry Johns, a member of the Ellwood House’s board of directors, said his relationship with Reis has been among the most significant he’s had in his life.
“It’s been excellent, and one of the most meaningful experiences in my life,” Johns, 78, said. “He is an outstanding executive director and we have apparently forged a bond so that we can communicate very openly and clearly with each other, and we have also enjoyed a very special friendship.”
Reis began his time at the Ellwood House a decade before he was hired as the executive director – and met Johns – when he was brought on as an intern around 2000. Reis said he worked at the Ellwood House and three other museums to “cobble work together” while pursuing a graduate degree in art history museum studies at Northern Illinois University. After a time, he transitioned to caretaker of the Ellwood House, living in an apartment in the mansion for several years.
“It was great, it was a great apartment and it was a great place to live,” Reis said. “I mean, I wrote my master’s thesis on the little porch that’s part of the apartment, so it was perfect with the proximity to NIU.”
Shaw Local News Network file photo Brian Reis, executive director of the Ellwood House Association, points out some of the damages at the historic property, on Jan. 5, 2017, in DeKalb. Reis recently said goodbye to his executive director job after a 12-year run.
Johns said under Reis’ leadership, the Ellwood House embarked on a three-year program to raise more than $900,000 for historic restoration, which resulted in more than $1 million raised for the initiative.
“Brian was the foundation to really make all that possible, and it’s a real feather in his many accomplishments as executive director,” Johns said.
Reis also helped with the acquisition of the Nehring House, now called the Ellwood-Nehring House, from Shirley Hamilton Nehring a decade ago. The 1899 Tudor-style revival house is used for event space mostly, while the Ellwood mansion remains a museum.
With Reis’ departure, Johns said the Ellwood House needs to fill the executive director position. In the meantime, current staff will facilitate the tasks Reis is leaving behind.
“We also have staff members who will be continuing the various roles so that the Ellwood House can serve the community and broader region with outreach programs, tours, and the upcoming holiday open house event,” Johns said.
Johns, who has previously served as a president and vice president for the Ellwood House Board of Directors, hopes the new executive director will carry on initiatives started under Reis’ tenure, and help carry the museum and historic homestead forward much how Reis has done.
A qualified candidate, Johns said, will be a strategic leader capable of working with the board to reach longterm goals while also managing several fundraisers a year, performing functions of a human resources department and overall business administration, and manage the exhibits and maintain appropriate care of the artifacts.
“It’s a sad time, and I think I speak for all the board members,” Johns said. “However, we are delighted that he [Reis] has found a new venture that will continue to use his talents. And I personally think it’s a darn-near perfect position for him.”
Reis’ retirement from the Ellwood House won’t end his professional career, however. He’s taken a position as executive director of the Smeja Homestead Foundation in Rockford. At 25 acres, the homestead is Reis’ largest site, with fewer buildings than in DeKalb.
“They’re more of [an] organization that’s looking for a new direction and they want to focus on historic preservation and doing, you know, outreach and programing,” Reis said. “And they’re looking for someone to kind of look at it as a startup, and that’s appealing to me.”
Asked why Reis’ new position at Smeja Homestead Foundation is close to a perfect fit, Johns said it’s “because he’s a visionary.”
“And this new role will ask him to spend some time preparing for a restoration of a [century old] farmhouse and then move onto other things that will help position that organization to grow and make a larger impact in the community,” Johns said.
Mark Busch – mbusch@shawmedia.com Jennifer Yochem of the DeKalb County Housing Authority speaks Monday, Oct. 3, at the Egyptian Theatre during the Safe Passage domestic violence vigil. Vigil calls upon survivors of domestic violence, advocates to ‘break the silence’
By MEGANN HORSTEAD
mhorstead@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – DeKalb resident Cari said she knows all too well the relationship between silence and fear.
Together, they can make for a dangerous combination. Cari, a domestic violence survivor herself heaped praise on Safe Passage, DeKalb County’s only domestic violence prevention and survivor advocacy center, for the resources they provided her when she needed it most.
“My whole life was turned out around,” Cari said. “I’ve been clean for almost nine months.”
Cari said she struggled to find help and people who would believe her as she dealt with the dueling challenges of living with a domestic abuser and substance abuse issues. She said she had been rejected by 15 domestic violence shelters before those at Safe Passage agreed to work with her.
“I was lucky I survived,” Cari said. “I’d end up 6 feet under.”
Safe Passage hosted a vigil Monday, Oct. 3, in commemoration of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, inviting survivors and advocates to share testimony and speak to resources available in the community for those in need of aid. The event featured a speak out, remarks shared by dignitaries and a candlelight procession.
DeKalb Police Chief David Byrd said he felt compelled to take part in the annual vigil to show the community that area authorities are committed to targeting domestic abuse.
“Every year, I come here for a lot of reasons: one [is to] support the fight for domestic violence,” Byrd said. “But also I come here every year to confirm our dedication and our challenge to protect victims of domestic violence and to also try to end domestic violence.”
Byrd said he is hopeful that the fight against domestic violence won’t be for naught.
“We have to stop the cycle,” Byrd said. “It starts with every breathing soul in this city, every breathing soul in this country. … It’s a world problem.”
DeKalb County State’s Attorney Rick Amato said fighting domestic violence in the community has been a priority since he came into office six years ago. Now in his second term, Amato said his office has changed how they prosecute domestic violence cases.
“We have two attorneys fully dedicated to domestic violence and I’m adding a third to be part time in there,” Amato said.
The state’s attorney’s office has more than 1,000 domestic violence cases awaiting prosecution, to date, he said.
Amato said many people are “suffering in silence” out there.
Safe Passage Executive Director Mary Ellen Schaid commended the agency’s clients for working to create change in their lives.
“It takes a huge amount of bravery to break the silence [of] domestic violence,” Schaid said. “The more and more people that do that, the more and more that we’re going to be able to cut that in the world. That is what we aspire to.” The following are the times and locations of Early & Grace Period Voting Sites in DeKalb County for the General Election being held on November 8, 2022. *All Early & Grace Period Voting Sites are available to all DeKalb County Voters*
Sycamore Campus Legislative Center’s Gathertorium 200 N. Main St., Sycamore, IL 60178 Early & Grace Period Voting Serving ALL County Precincts
Grace Period Registration Begins – October 12th
October 12th Wednesday *County Board CoW 8:30am - Noon October 19th Wednesday *County Board Meeting 8:30am - Noon October 29th – October 30th Saturday & Sunday 8:30am - 4:30pm October 31st – November 4th Monday – Friday 8:30am - 7:00pm November 5th – November 6th Saturday & Sunday 8:30am - 4:30pm November 7th Monday 8:30am - 7:00pm
DeKalb Township Building 2323 S. 4th St., DeKalb, IL 60115 Early & Grace Period Voting Serving ALL County Precincts
NIU-Holmes Student Center Gallery Lounge 340 Carroll Ave., DeKalb, IL 60115 Early & Grace Period Voting Serving ALL County Precincts
Kingston Friendship Center 120 Main St., Kingston, IL 60145 Early & Grace Period Voting Serving ALL County Precincts
Sandwich Library 925 S. Main St., Sandwich, IL 60548 Early & Grace Period Voting Serving ALL County Precincts
Dated at Sycamore, Illinois, September 19, 2022 DOUGLAS J. JOHNSON DEKALB COUNTY CLERK & RECORDER
many amazing volunteer and community groups,” Kiecher said. “We just have a unique footprint in the state of Illinois where people want to stand up and contribute.”
After the ceremony, Tasha Sims, who works in DeKalb County government, said she’s proud to live in a community that honors those who’ve served and credited community organizations, such as the Elks Club, for that status.
“I don’t think we can ever thank the veterans enough for everything that they do,” Sims said. “And to have a memorial like this in our county but also the entrance to the city of DeKalb is very meaningful,” Sims said.
The new memorial is adjacent to DeKalb Elks Lodge 756, and can be clearly seen when driving north on South Annie Glidden Road, an intended spot, said Embrey.
“That was the reason we picked it,” Embrey said. “Because we want this to be that visual destination when you’re coming off of [Interstate] 88 on Annie Glidden. It is the primary entrance when you’re coming into town.”
DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes said he supports the memorial’s central viewing location for those who visit DeKalb.
“Thousands upon thousands, hundreds of thousands when you think about how long this memorial is going to be up, are going to drive by this. In their cars they’re going to see it, some are going to pull over, they’re going to sit on the benches that we’re sitting in right now,” Barnes said. “They’re going to read a little bit more about it, they’re going to go on the internet to find out more about it, but ultimately it’s going to touch some people’s lives because of where it’s at, but also because of how wonderful and beautiful this is.”
Nine flags are hoisted atop poles on the memorial, each for a different branch of the U.S. military, those who were prisoners of war or missing in action, the Elks veteran flag and the American flag. Organizers said they believe it’s the first regional memorial to also include a flag for the newest branch of the military, the U.S. Space Force.
Additional phases are planned for the memorial, including five more benches and plans for patriotic-style lighting.
“It will be spectacular,” Embrey said. “We had one light prototype, and we were impressed with one. There will be seven lights, it’ll be ground to sky lights and it’ll be red, white and blue. So it’ll be really, extremely patriotic.”
David Toney for Shaw Local News Network Air Force veteran Michael Embrey gives remarks as area veterans and onlookers gather Saturday, Oct.1, during a dedication ceremony marking the completion of Phase 1 of the DeKalb Elks Veteran’s Memorial Plaza in DeKalb.
Oct. 7-9 and Oct. 13-15
Much Ado About Nothing
Sally Stevens Players Theatre
Written by William Shakespeare Directed by Kay Martinovich Oct. 13 Fall Choirs Concert, 7 p.m. Oct. 17 Jazz Faculty Showcase, 7 p.m. Oct. 19 NIU Philharmonic Orchestra, 7 p.m. Oct. 21 Wind Symphony (with US Army Route 66 Brass Band), 7 p.m. Nov. 2-4 NIU New Music Festival, 7 p.m. NIU Art Museum
Golden Legacy: Original Art from 80 Years of Golden Books
Through Oct. 15 School of Art and Design – niu.edu/art
Meeting of Makers: Merging of Space
Jack Olson Gallery, Through Oct. 27
