Bolingbrook Chamber names 2020 Business Leader of the Year

The Bolingbrook Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to name Jill Maldonado, Director of Sales for the Bolingbrook Golf Club, as the 2020 Business Leader of the Year.

“Anyone who had an event at the Golf Club has worked with Jill,” said Executive Director Kevin O’Keeffe. “Anyone who has worked with Jill knows how deserving she is of this award.”

“Her leadership of her staff is the reason behind every successful event at the Golf Club: case in point, the recent State of the Village luncheon for over 700 guests.”

“This comes as a complete surprise,” said Maldonado. “I am honored to be considered, let alone chosen for this award.”

From Princess Brunches to various galas to Thanksgiving dinners to the Mayor’s Annual Holiday Party, Maldonado is the force behind the wide variety of events at the Bolingbrook Golf Club.

Maldonado and Bolingbrook area businesses will be honored Thursday, March 12 during the Chamber's Best of Bolingbrook Business Awards & Gala at the Bolingbrook Golf Club. The evening is open to the public; tickets can be purchased here.

Maldonado has been an employee of KemperSports since March of 2006, marking this as the start of her 15th year at the Club.

Maldonado’s career in the service industry started at a young age. Her father owned multiple grocery stores throughout the city of Chicago. Customer service was instilled very early on as she and her siblings were brought up in a family business driven by strong values and customer satisfaction.

She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, earning her bachelor’s degree in marketing in 1989.

Her career in the hospitality industry started shortly after graduation. She immediately entered the exciting and fast-paced leadership teams of two major hotel companies. The Hyatt Regency O’Hare, where she was catering manager, and the Palmer House Hilton, as the assistant director, were home for the next seven years. She coordinated and executed many large, citywide conventions at these two mega hotel properties. Her career in the city of Chicago then continued for five more years where she was employed by Accenture as Chicago corporate event planner.

Despite starting out in Des Plaines, she has called Bolingbrook home for 20 years

In 2000, she married Jaime Maldonado who also shares in the passion of the hospitality industry. He has been in a Palmer House Hilton management position for over 23 years. They have two teens Nick and Frankie who attend Plainfield East High School. Outside of work Jill enjoys spending time with family, friends and traveling whenever they can get away from their busy schedules.