Retiring Silver Cross CEO Honored By Village Board

NEW LENOX, IL -- New Lenox honored the retiring Silver Cross Hospital president and CEO this week. Paul Pawlak is set to retire from Silver Cross on Oct. 1 after 27 years in the head role at the hospital and the only president to have served since the hospital's move from Joliet to New Lenox. The village gave him a plaque during Monday's village trustees meeting.

"We knew Silver Cross was an outstanding hospital, but we had no idea how it would grow," New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann said, noting the hospital's rapid growth since its move to the village. "None of that would have been possible without Paul Pawlak."

Baldermann said that the land Silver Cross Hospital now sits was once proposed as a large retail development, but that fell through during the recession of the late 2000s.

"Having quality health care in our community is far superior to any retail we could get," he said, calling Silver Cross the "jewel of our community."

Pawlak said he is most proud of the "culture" that's been created at Silver Cross.

"We have one of the best hospital cultures in all of Chicagoland and the whole country," he said. "There's people smiling at you and willing to escort you to your destination."

Pawlak will be replaced in the top role at Silver Cross by Ruth Colby, who has served as chief strategy officer at the hospital.

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