Liz Reitz To Receive Deerfield's Maureen Wener Public Service Award

DEERFIELD, IL — From service clubs and school activities to animal rescue and food assistance, Liz Reitz's volunteer work has earned her this year's Maureen Wener Public Service Award.

Reitz will be honored at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at Deerfield Public Library, 920 Waukegan Road. The ceremony will also recognize this year’s nominees.

The West Deerfield Township Democratic Organization established the nonpartisan award in memory of Wener, a longtime volunteer who served on Deerfield's library and school boards.

RELATED: Deerfield Obituary — Maureen G. Wener

Reitz was nominated by multiple community members, according to organizers. She currently serves as president of the Deerfield Rotary, a board member of the Deerfield Optimist Club and vice president of activities for the Walden PTO. She is also a Friend of the Deerfield Public Library and is extensively involved with the Deerfield Park District and Patty Turner Center.

Her volunteer work includes Whitehall, local efforts addressing food insecurity, church programs, Deerfield Police training programs, Orphans of the Storm and Chicago Bird Collision Monitors. She also founded the North Shore Giving Foundation.

Remembering Maureen Wener

Wener served as a member and later president of the Deerfield Public Library Board, secretary of the Deerfield School District 109 school board and longtime treasurer of the West Deerfield Township Democratic Organization.

As Patch previously reported, Wener, 49, was killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding her bicycle in Highland Park in June 2023.

Organizers established the award to honor her memory and recognize residents whose dedication to public service reflects her example.

This Year’s Nominees

Organizers also recognized the following nominees and their contributions:

• Art Wilde: For establishing Go Green Deerfield and educating residents and village leaders about reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting environmental sustainability.
• Kyle Manders, Harry Steindler, David Mutnick and Cathy Kedjidjian: For their work with Citizens for Deerfield 109 Referendum, a grassroots effort supporting the successful school referendum. Their nomination cited high voter turnout and passage by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.
• Dick Sandler: For his service as a past president and current safety and security chair of Congregation B’nai Tikvah.
• Jill Feldman: For decades of advocacy for lung cancer research, treatment, access to care and health care equity. She also co-founded EGFR Resisters, a community for patients and caregivers affected by EGFR-positive lung cancer.
• Carolyn Koppel: For creating and sustaining Aaron’s Coffee Corner, which supports families and caregivers of critically ill children in intensive care units and the emergency department at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
• Merrilee Waldron: For leading BJBE Congregation’s Project Nourish for 20 years. The program is part of a consortium of local synagogues providing meals to people experiencing housing insecurity. The congregation packs 360 lunches each month for distribution in Waukegan.

Previous Recipients

The inaugural award went to Lilu Weisberger in 2024 for volunteer work undertaken while attending middle school. His contributions included co-founding Shepard Middle School’s Tea Club, organizing a book drive benefiting a mental health organization and volunteering with animal rescue, library, senior housing and food pantry programs.

Erin Kerpel received the award in 2025 for co-founding and helping grow Gratitude Generation, a nonprofit that encourages giving through education and service.