Two Batavians who “wanted to get involved” in 1991 when they moved to Batavia were named the 2012 Batavia Citizens of the Year.

The Batavia Chamber of Commerce will honor Steven and Britta McKenna on Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Chamber’s Annual Awards Dinner. 

Mayor Jeff D. Schielke describes the pair as a “dynamic team, one that has always been supportive of whatever the town is working on.”

According to Batavia Park District Executive Director Allison Niemela, she is especially thankful for the integral role Britta and Steve played for over two decades on the Batavia Riverwalk.

“They have an incredible work ethic and I’m honored to work alongside them,” Niemela said. “What they work on turns to gold and I’m grateful their Midas touch has benefited the Park District.”

The McKenna family arrived in Batavia in 1991 due to a job transfer for Steve and a desire by the two of them to get back to their Midwestern roots. As a stay-at-home Mom with two small boys, Britta was the first to reach out to the community. Fortuitously, Batavia was trying to get a river walk project underway and was looking for organizational help.

A lover of the outdoors, Britta not only embraced the project, she jumped in with both feet. She became a volunteer board member of the Batavia Riverwalk Committee and served as its marketing director. A couple years later, Steve joined the Riverwalk Committee as a board member and its treasurer. In 2000, the pair also served as founding board members of the Friends of the Riverwalk.

In the meantime, because he was a scout as a boy, Steve wanted to get the couple’s sons Kyle and Owen involved in Boy Scouts of America. The family’s church home, Holy Cross Catholic Church, sponsored Boy Scout Troup 21, but did not have a Cub Scout pack.

Along with several others, Steve served as one of the founders of Holy Cross Cub Scout Pack 121 in 1992. He continually served in a leadership role in Scouts through 2011, culminating with his service as the finance chair for Three Fires District Council.

One of the McKenna’s sons, Owen, followed his father’s example and earned his Eagle Scout rank. Fittingly, his final project involved the Riverwalk.

“I see my role with the Boy Scouts as the most rewarding,” Steve said, citing the ability to not only participate in an activity with his sons, but also as way to positively influence the lives of young people.

A couple of years after Steve started the Cub Scout pack, Britta joined in the scouting activities and a pattern began emerging. As Britta points out, one spouse’s interest initiates their involvement in a cause, with the other joining later.

“Passion – for one or the other of us – would lead, and the other eventually follows along,” she explained. “When one would get tired, the other would pick them up and carry on.

“As a couple, if we want to work together and be together, the other joins in.”

Besides the Scouts and the Riverwalk, you’ll see the McKenna touch in activities ranging from Holy Cross Church to the Batavia Park District and the Batavia Parks Foundation. The Batavia Chamber of Commerce, Batavia MainStreet, Art in Your Eye and most recently, Breast Cancer MyStory are all organizations that have benefitted from their devoted efforts.

“They gladly share the love and passion God has given them with the community,” said Monsignor Daniel Deutsch of Holy Cross Catholic Church. “They are guided by their faith and bring excitement and joy about life to everything they do.

“They are great friends and parishioners and it is wonderful to know them.” 

Steve McKenna works as Vice President of Pricing at SIRVA Moving Company. Britta founded nonprofit organization Breast Cancer MyStory in 2012. She also works as the Marketing and Communications Director for Kluber Architects + Engineers in Batavia.

Roger Breisch, executive director of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce, is more than pleased with this year’s Citizen of the Year selection.

“Honoring Britta and Steve means so much to me personally,” Breisch said. “It would be impossible to count the number of times I have been witness to their kindness, generosity and creativity.

“I feel blessed to have been touched in their love of the enclave we call Batavia.”

The Batavia Citizen of the Year is selected by a committee of previous recipients of the award and is based on nominations from the community. The award is given for extraordinary contributions to the community over the course of the recipient’s lifetime.

Batavia’s Citizen of the Year is honored at the annual awards dinner for the Batavia Chamber of Commerce. This year’s event will be held on Jan. 26, 2013 at Lincoln Inn Banquets, 1345 S. Batavia Avenue in Batavia. For ticket information, register online at www.BataviaChamber.org or contact the Chamber at 630-879-7134.