Busy Bee Boasts 'Best Job' with DuPage Township

Editor's Note: Each Thursday, Bolingbrook Patch will post a continuing series of stories on DuPage Township and how it shapes the community we live in today. The series will delve into the township's daily operation and the people responsible for supporting ongoing operations.

In Part Three, we profile Lynne Woodward, the township's senior recreation director, who argues she has the best job in Bolingbrook. 

Bolingbrook residents in need of a functional space to host a party, banquet, reception, wedding, social event or special occasion need look no further than located at 251 Canterbury Lane.

The multi-purpose building was made possible through the joint efforts of Joseph Levy Jr. and DuPage Township to provide a beautiful and comfortable setting that could be used as a meeting place.

The stone and wood center is impressive, to say the least. It comes equipped with a welcoming lobby complete with a stone fireplace, a large sunny solarium, a spacious stage, completely stocked full bar as well as an expansive parking lot.

The facility can accommodate as many as 275 guests and features a large dining room that is flanked by windowed walls that offer views of beautifully landscaped grounds complete with patio and gazebo.

On weekdays, the building primarily functions as a gathering place fulfilling the needs of the local senior population. However, the facility is available during “off hours” to assist in underwriting the cost of operating senior programs.

Since 2006, Lynne Woodard has assumed responsibility for keeping the facility viable while keeping its primary users vital. She plays the dual role of banquet director and senior recreation director.   

Woodard, a warm, jovial lady with a big heart, argues that she has the best job in Bolingbrook.

On any given day, you can find her in the office busily coordinating a senior trip or readying the banquet facility for an upcoming event.

Upcoming events include regular river boat excursions, dinner and a movie, a Valentine’s Day party, a lunch bunch gathering at the Jacob Henry Mansion in Joliet and again at the Weber Grill in Lombard, as well as a Mexican cruise.

“I’m a party girl,” Woodard says. “Seriously, (Senior Services Director Peg Miller) and I work as a team. She is the brains handling all the senior issues and I get to handle all the fun."

Woodard is the embodiment of the saying, “Find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” She considers the population she serves as family, and she takes great care in planning excursions that fit their needs.

Carla Williams, a member of the senior center, said Woodward is nothing but wonderful.  

"She is very concerned about seniors," Williams said. "I’ve been on several trips with her and she makes sure all our needs are met, even if that means staying up with us all night.”

Woodard is so good in her position that she was awarded the 2009 Township of Illinois ITASCSC award as senior director of the year. ITASCSC was formed in 1982 as a result of a number of township representatives meeting to address the need to enhance senior services in their communities.

Although Woodard’s efforts are extended to some 1,700 members of the senior center, she continues to welcome anyone who seeks to be plugged into to a more active way of life with the tag line, "I’m just a phone call away."

You can contact Lynne Woodard by e-mail at Lwoodard@dupagetownship.com or call her at 630-759-3411.

For more on this series, please read: