People Profiles: Rotary Club President Loves Giving Back to Her Community

Whether hard at work or volunteering in her spare time, Romeoville resident Lisa Lynch seems to specialize in community service.

Lynch moved to Romeoville with her family when she was just a toddler. In 1996, she rented her parents’ home, and a few years later, she and husband Ed bought it for themselves and son Stephen Brasfield. In 2007, they built a brand-new home in Misty Ridge. That, says Lynch, “was the first time I had moved since I was 3!”

The longtime Romeoville resident has worked for the village for 22 years. Her first job was as an intern for the village manager, followed by stints as a planning clerk, administrative secretary and office manager. Today, she is proud to serve as an executive assistant to the director of community development.

Lynch also serves Romeoville in yet another way: as the president of the Romeoville Rotary Club, whose many contributions to the community reflect its motto, “Service Above Self.”

Local Rotarians sponsor the Romeoville High School Interact Club, an MS walk and Adopt-a-Highway cleanup along Route 53. The club also led a food drive to benefit St. Andrew the Apostle’s We Care Food Pantry and adopted families for Operation Christmas. For more information about the local group, visit www.romeovillerotary.org.

Recently, Patch snatched a few minutes of Lynch’s time to ask about her busy schedule, including both her work and her volunteerism.

Patch: What was it about the Rotary Club that made you want to be a part of it?

Lisa Lynch: I did community service work in high school as part of the “Business Professionals of America” and tried to continue that when I graduated, but as your life changes, time does not always permit for those activities. I became a single mother at the age of 19, so my main focus was raising my son and providing a good life for the both of us. [Later], [Community Development Director] Steve Rockwell, my boss, was president of Rotary and he would often tell me activities that they were doing, and it really interested me — so I would help him with some of the activities.

Patch: Are there any specific Rotary Club activities that you are especially passionate about?

Lynch: I love going into the elementary schools and giving third-graders their dictionaries. It is always rewarding to see their faces when they find out that they get to keep the books; the books are theirs! I also love dressing up as a pirate — argghhh — for the Halloween Fest.

Patch: What is your job as the club president?

Lynch: As president, your role is to lead an effective Rotary club, to ­ get your members “Rotargized” and on task — “Service Above Self.”

Patch: What about your job at the Village of Romeoville? What are your responsibilities there?

Lynch: I manage the software program for Community Development; I assist the director in budget preparations; work on projects with other departments; coordinate mailing lists for events; work as his secretary; general office work and department payroll/HR; and help out with the developers’ breakfast.

Patch: Can you tell Patch a little bit about what you enjoy most about interacting with people from your community? 

Lynch: At the current Village Hall, I do not interact with the public as much as I used to, but when I did, I always enjoyed talking with residents and contractors about their home improvements they were doing (which in the end improves the neighborhoods in the village). With Rotary, it is very rewarding to see residents enjoying what this great community has to offer for its residents. 

Patch: What do you enjoy most about your position with the Village of Romeoville? 

Lynch: In Community Development, you get to see thing grow from start to finish. I have watched this community grow with all the new development in housing, industrial and commercial. Growing up in Romeoville, I also watched it grow as I was growing myself.

Patch: What do your employment and volunteer service have in common?

Lynch: I love to be a part of making this community a better place to live and enjoy! I love Romeoville!

Patch: It sounds like you don’t have much spare time, but when you can squeeze out a few moments for yourself, what do you enjoy doing? How do you spend your “free” time?

Lynch: I love spending time with my husband and family. I have several hobbies that I love to do. Right now my hobby is quilting; my mother used to quilt, and I’ve always wanted to learn since she passed away nine years ago. Last year I thought I would teach myself, and that is what I do in my “free” time.

Patch: What is your idea of a dream vacation?

Lynch: I would love to go to Hawaii with my husband.

Patch: OK, now, more realistically, what was the last vacation you took? Where did you go? What did you do?

Lynch: Realistically, my last vacation was in January, and I went to see my dad and his wife in Friendship, Tennessee — a small town, very relaxing.  We always drive down there; it takes about eight hours, but when we go, it takes a little longer. We stop in St. Louis, Missouri,  my second- favorite city. (First is Romeoville.)  I am a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan!  I went to Game 6 of the World Series in October and it was amazing! So the trip to my dad’s and stopping in St. Louis is my all-time favorite vacation.

Patch: If you could give any gift to the Village of Romeoville, what would it be, and why? 

Lynch: There are so many things I would love to give to this community, but the first thing that comes to mind is more commercial (restaurants and shopping) on Route 53, now called “old” Romeoville. That is where I grew up, and I would like to see that part of town (downtown) “alive” again.