Naperville Noon Lions Member Receives Prestigious Award

On April 8, 2018, Naperville Noon Lions club member Katie Hertzberg was the recipient of the George Lazansky Distinguished Service Award at the Lions District 1-J annual convention held at the Naperville Marriott Hotel. The award was presented by John Hilliard, District 1-J Governor.

This high honor was named to remember the late Lion George Lazansky who served as the District 1-J governor in 1951 and is presented to only a handful of Lions annually.

Nominees of this award are Lion members who have excelled not only in their contribution to their Club and community, but also have served or demonstrated lionism at the District or higher level and have performed outstanding humanitarian achievements.

Lion Katie became a member of the Naperville Noon Lions Club in 2001, between her sophomore land junior years, while a student at the University of Illinois (Urban-Champaign). Even as a student, she was active at the Lion funnel cake booth at Naperville's Rifest logging more hours than any other member of the Club during her student years. In addition she has served as co-chair of the Club's Social Service Program and received the Lions "Spirit" award in 2008.

After graduating from the University of Illinois, she went on to Illinois College of Optometry - Chicago graduating in 2007, earning a Doctor of Optometry degree (OD). Since than she has practiced as an optometrist in the western suburbs, primarily in Naperville.

During the past 10 years, Lion Katie's volunteer spirit has taken her around the globe participating in eye care missions Foreign missions trips include Obregon, Mexico in 2009, Benin Africa in 2010 and Thailand in 2012. Domestic mission trips included Sioux Indian Reservation in Crow Creek, South Dakota and many 5-day clinic missions to serve the Public Schools of Chicago between 2008 and 2012. During the missions trips teams of eye care professionals (doctors, technicians and support staff) provide comprehensive examinations and deliver donated eyeglass to individuals in need, most of who have never seen an eye doctor.

Lion Katie also teams with two other Naperville Noon Lions Club optometrists to provide eye screenings for pre-school students at Ann Reid Early Learning Center in Naperville.

As a young professional, raising an incredibly active 2-year-old daughter, she somehow manages to find time to volunteer at the John Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, where she has amassed approximately 2,000 hours over the last 10 years as a certified SCUBA Dive-master working in the Wild Reef exhibit.

Confident, cheerful and hard-working, Dr. Katherine Hertzberg is a credit to both the profession of optometry and the true spirit of Lionism and the Lions mission of supporting individuals with low vision and blindness stated Naperville Lion President Linda Strugalla. It is truly an honor to have her as a member of the Naperville Noon Lions Club she said.