Bill Lambert
Seizing the Day If you look up the Guinness World Record for the world’s oldest male scuba diver, you’ll see a photo of a 96-year-old gentleman. But at age 99, Rockford resident Bill Lambert has paperwork pending to claim that title as his own. “I’m living now at a senior living home, and we were…
Lindsey Gapen Lukas
Krystal Scroggins
Flipping the Narrative Krystal Scroggins has become accustomed to that funny look when she tells people she works at Rockford’s Roosevelt Community Education Center. “Isn’t that where the bad kids go?” they ask. For the past several years, Scroggins and her nearly 600 students have been turning that idea upside down. Graduation rate has grown…
Chris Linden
Glasa Gottschalk
Embrace the Journey Glasa Gottschalk considers herself a natural-born leader. Whether it’s working with a music shop, a bank or a startup furniture company, it seems every job or organization she’s worked with, she’s climbed the ladder into leadership. “Business has always been something I’ve been drawn into,” says Gottschalk. “It’s been really fun to…
Sara Myers
Deanna Lacny
A Walk by Faith She told God she wasn’t working with kids. He had other plans for Deanna Lacny. The former homeschooling mom was looking for easy work when she landed a part-time job at Rock House Kids. An easy job soon turned into a full-time gig, and, eventually, a leadership role – one that…
Jerry Paulson
With Love for Our Wildlife Jerry Paulson retired as executive director of the Natural Land Institute in 2013, but he’s still a busy guy. “I’ve stayed involved with Natural Land Institute to help them get accreditation from the Land Trust Alliance, a national land trust group – going through old files and putting things together…
Paula Hendrickson
Joe Marek
Seeing a Bigger Picture Family and support are severely needed when a loved one dies. But sometimes, people need something more. That’s where Joe Marek comes in. The bereavement coordinator at Mercyhealth Hospice can provide people with comfort and care for 13 months, sometimes longer, after their loved one dies from a terminal illness. “It…
Jermaine Pigee
Rick Barder
A Man and His Bike Rick Barder made his living in the banking business as a commercial lender. But after retiring more than a decade ago, the Beloit resident now spends his time exploring southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois on his bike. Barder was a “jock” in school but turned to biking later in life….
Paul Arco
Mary Ann Smith
For the Next Generation As a child visiting the Coronado Theatre, Mary Ann Smith fell in love with the magic of the stage. But by the 1990s, Rockford’s movie palace was looking like something “between the opulent Taj Mahal and a white elephant,” she says. Smith and her husband, Gordy, could see the deterioration firsthand…
Tiana McCall
Like Mother, Like Daughter Tiana McCall credits her mother, Birdia Cooper, for instilling within her a passion for volunteer work. “My mother was a community advocate,” McCall says. “I remember every time it rained in the summertime, our streets would flood. And so I would hear my mother calling the alderman saying we deserved…
Joyce Gibbons
Following Her Roots For as long as she can remember, Joyce Gibbons has been interested in biology and the environment. “I had an aunt who lived up in Wisconsin. We used to go visit them when I was little,” says Gibbons. “She was very knowledgeable about the native plants and some of the medicinal qualities…