PRESIDENT’S AWARD

In 2021, Raue Center was honored to present The William Dwyer President’s Award to Susen H. Berg and Rich Naponelli.  Throughout Raue Center’s 20-year history these champions of the arts have helped ensure that Raue Center achieves its mission to “Bring the Arts to All” and maintain its status as a cultural, educational, and economic cornerstone of McHenry County.

A founding Board Member and original member of the Civic Center Authority, Susen H. Berg was instrumental in Raue Center’s beginnings.  Her passion for the arts and her love for her hometown of Crystal Lake helped set the foundations for future artistic and economic success.

Current Board member and former Sage Products CFO Rich Naponelli has brought shrewd financial guidance and a love for children that helped set a steady course for the historic theater and championed its growing educational initiatives.

Joining previous award recipients Paula Dorion-Gray, Chuck Stevens, and Matt Turk, Susen and Rich continue the legacy of commitment to Raue Center and to the mission of providing Arts For All.

The Raue President’s Award (The Dwyer Award) symbolizes the institutional advancement of Raue Center’s mission to enrich the lives of all through the arts. The leaders receiving this award have proven themselves to be selfless pillars of the community who are willing to invest their time, their energies, and most importantly, their influence, as they help create a space where the arts can flourish. Internationally renowned sculptor and Crystal Lake resident, Charlotte Blome, created the original artwork for the Award with assistance from her husband, Erik Blome.