Glessners always gave

The Waterloo Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award annually recognizes an individual who has shown tremendous dedication to the place they call home, be it through years of civic duty or community service.

This year, two recipients of the award are being celebrated as Sharon and John Glessner have both spent much of their lives serving the community both professionally and though their work in local organizations.

Both of the Glessners were born and raised in Waterloo. While Sharon went through the Waterloo School District, John attended Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic School and Gibault Catholic High School.

They both continued their educations at Southern Illinois University, though Sharon attended in Carbondale while John went to Edwardsville, also spending some time at Belleville Area College.

Professionally, John operated an insurance agency that was started by his grandfather. He took over after his mom retired.

He served the community for over 30 years as an adult, though his tenure really began as a child helping with the mail along with some part-time work during college.

After starting her college career by studying physical therapy, Sharon found she really enjoyed the education element of the job and instead turned her focus to teaching.

Sharon’s career had her working in the Perandoe Special Education District for 13 years before she came to Waterloo to teach, serving her hometown school district for 23 years.

Between the two of them, the Glessners have a truly impressive resume when it comes to the myriad organizations, events and activities they’ve had a hand in over the years.

Close to home, Sharon has been involved with Morrison-Talbott Library for many years, inheriting this passion from her mother who was on the library board when she was a child.

She recalled former Waterloo Mayor Bob Krump approaching her in 1999 to serve on the board.

She’s held office on the library board on several occasions and has helped oversee the library through many changes, particularly recalling how she served as president during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the concurrent remodel of the building.

Sharon has also spent over a decade with MindsEye, a radio station based in Belleville that specializes in translating visual media into audio for those with visual disabilities.

Her time with the nonprofit has specifically focused on reading the Republic-Times newspaper each week over the years, a position she got thanks to her son-in-law who previously did some volunteering with MindsEye.

“He, in talking to their director, said they were really looking for someone local to read the local newspaper, somebody who could pronounce the names and know a little bit more of what was actually going on in the community,” Sharon said. “They asked me if I would like to do it, and I said, ‘Well, I’ll give it a try,’ and that was 12 years ago.”

Back home, Sharon has played flute with the Waterloo Municipal Band for 50 years, starting her first year after college.

She marched with the Busch Light Brigade – then the Bud Light Brigade – for about 15 years, though a bum knee forced her to step away from the parades.

Beyond all of that work, Sharon has also come to volunteer at W.J. Zahnow Elementary since her retirement on top of serving as a superintendent at the Monroe County Fair and keeping active in her church.

John is known by many in the community for his work as a volunteer fireman, a position he held for over 30 years.

“The fire department came to me and asked me to join,” John said. “They were looking for volunteers that worked and operated in town here… One time the Gibault High School caught fire. That was pretty intense.”

Though this time serving Waterloo left him with some undoubtedly bad memories from difficult fire calls, he spoke with pride for the work he and his peers have done for the area over the years.

He was additionally the chairman for the fire department’s Fire Prevention Week for three decades.

John has also served the community through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in an educational capacity.

For around 37 years, he conducted three-day classes teaching kids hunting skills and how to operate a firearm safely, work for which he received an award thanks to his nearly four decades of service.

John’s father was a charter member of the Waterloo Optimist Club, and he recalled receiving an invitation to the group after his passing.

Ever keeping himself busy, John has similarly spent around 37 years with the Optimists. He recalled helping with the annual Blue Army Bull Bash and starting a bike safety program, giving away bicycles and teaching safe riding – though this program wound down with the diminishing popularity of bikes over the years.

Sharon remarked on how busy and productive the Optimists have been over the years, and John noted how the group has seen its resources grow and grow, allowing the club to give back to the community more and more.

The Glessners also noted their involvement in the Waterloo chamber, recalling how they started with the organization back when they were the youngest members there.

Speaking on their persistent engagement with the community over the years, the Glessners remarked that they simply upheld a way of living that their parents instilled in them.

“Our parents started it, and we just followed as time went on,” John said.

“Our parents were all very active in church and community and just encouraged us to be that way also,” Sharon added. “The other part of it is we just enjoy the community, enjoy being in the community. It was more of an opportunity to belong to things, be with great groups of people. You don’t volunteer unless you’re having fun doing it.”

They stressed how enjoyable it’s been to be so active over the years, with their many friends in many organizations providing them many opportunities to volunteer and better their community.

They further voiced their appreciation for those organizations, noting how the Optimists, Morrison-Talbott and others in Waterloo help make the community great for families.

“It makes Waterloo a great place to raise a family, when you have organizations and events that are so vibrant and family-oriented,” Sharon said.

Concerning the Community Service Award, the two of them were both humble about the recognition, Sharon remarking that they were surprised and honored.

She further voiced pride in receiving the award given the many deserving people who have been recognized before them.

“We did what we did not for accolades but because it was fun,” Sharon said. “We enjoyed it.”

“And it was a way to help our community,” John added.

The Glessners will be honored during the Waterloo Chamber’s annual social set for March 19 at Annbriar Golf Course. Call 619-939-5300 for more information. 

Rodenberg has Waterloo pride

With a strong accounting background and a tremendous love for the community he’s always called home, Quinn Rodenberg was selected by the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce as its second recipient of the Young Professional Award.

With family roots largely in Fults and the bottoms of Monroe County, Rodenberg was born and raised here, attending and graduating from the Waterloo School District.

After leaving Waterloo High School, he attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, ultimately graduating from the accounting program there.

Waterloo has always been home for him, and his professional career since 2017 has seen him working at the central Waterloo business of Harrisonville Telephone Company, specifically as assistant treasurer.

Rodenberg noted a deep appreciation for HTC both as a fine place for him to work and as an entity with close ties to the community it calls home thanks to its sponsorships of groups and events like the Monroe County Fair.

“I’ve been working here nine years, and it’s a great company to work for with great leadership,” Rodenberg said. “It’s nice to work for a company that does support the community that I love so much.”

Beyond his career, Rodenberg has also come to be involved in a number of organizations – particularly the Waterloo Optimist Club.

An Optimist for around 15 years now, Rodenberg has served as the club’s president and treasurer on top of serving as chair or co-chair for several events over the years, also having co-founded the Optimist Beer-B-Que.

Rodenberg is also a past recipient of the Optimist of the Year Award.

He recalled that the group was his first choice when looking to get involved in some community organizations. A friend of his helped him join, and ever since he’s been eager to attend as many meetings and be as active as he can.

“It is just a tremendous organization. I joined because I wanted to do something,” Rodenberg said. “I didn’t know exactly what, I just knew I wanted to be involved in the community in some way… It’s one of those organizations where the club members support it by showing up more than anyone could imagine.”

Another prominent organization Rodenberg has been involved in is Human Support Services, though he acknowledged his work with HSS largely stems from his wife Mallory, who is more closely engaged with the nonprofit.

Nevertheless, he’s served on the organization’s finance committee and has also been on the council for the annual Shine Your Light Gala, serving as a co-chair for the 2023 event.

“HSS is one of those organizations that they touch so many lives in this community, and most people don’t realize it,” Rodenberg said. “Most people don’t understand the work they do to provide a better life for those who deserve it. Just seeing the passion my wife has for it made me want to do what I could to help her help the organization.”

Further keeping himself busy in the area, Rodenberg has come to be somewhat active with his alma mater, serving on the SIUE accounting department advisory board and, for the past two years, teaching a class on advanced taxation once a semester.

Rodenberg further described how he and his family – including his kids Briggs and Maeve – are always looking for ways to get involved in the community, mainly by coming out and supporting local events.

“My family and I, we try to always keep an eye on what’s going on in town, just go to random events to support organizations and by extension, people,” Rodenberg said. “I would always rather look for opportunities to go and support other people’s projects. I think that’s the biggest part of being part of a community is showing up for others, not just for yourself.”

He spoke with tremendous passion about Waterloo, describing the feeling of meeting new folks in town but also recognizing those he’s known for years on the street and how the community can only continue to thrive through the efforts of those same people.

Rodenberg further emphasized how this town has nurtured him over the years and has come to nurture his children as well.

“This town is a place that’s given me everything that I have,” Rodenberg said. “My family is here, not just my mom and my brother – my dad passed away just a couple years ago. It’s been one of those things that I’ve never wanted to leave a place that has my roots… My wife and I, we know this is the place where they can be supported and grow up themselves and have a great family themselves because everyone in this community looks out for each other.”

Regarding the Young Professional Award, Rodenberg expressed his humility and gratitude.

“There are so many other people that I can think of that probably deserve this more than me, I just happened to be on somebody’s mind at the exact moment that they put pen to paper,” Rodenberg said. “I am honored that I got this award, and I will not take it lightly.”

Rodenberg will be honored during the Waterloo Chamber’s annual social March 19 at Annbriar Golf Course. Call 618-939-5300 for more information.