Park Forest Historical Society Announces Opening of 2027 Park Forest Hall of Fame Nominations
The Park Forest Historical Society is now accepting nominations for the 2027 Park Forest Hall of Fame. Individuals or couples may be nominated if they have made substantial, beneficial, and consistent contributions to the life and well-being of Park Forest over a considerable span of time. Nominees may currently live elsewhere or may be deceased, but their accomplishments and service must have directly benefited Park Forest. Each person may submit only one nomination per year, and a thorough statement describing the nominee’s qualifications and contributions is an important part of the selection process.
All nominations must be received by December 31, 2026. The Society strongly encourages nominators to complete the online Hall of Fame nomination form. For those who prefer to submit a nomination by mail, a printable nomination form and the Hall of Fame guidelines are also available with this article. Please take a moment to help us recognize the people whose lasting contributions have helped make Park Forest the community it is today.
Park Forest Historical Society Presents
Park Forest Trivia
Sunday November 8, 2026, 2:30p.m.
In the Village Board Meeting Room
Park Forest Village Hall, 350 Victory Drive
Spend a non-competitive afternoon testing your memory on facts about Park Forest.
Rick and Alice Wasney will run the Trivia Game for us, in part using questions
developed by high school Freshman Nicole Williams in 1997. Trivia questions will
also be pulled from “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader” developed by former PFHS
President Mike Gans, and some other sources.
Between questions, you may be asked to share your memories about the subject of the questions.
You may bring some friends to help, or just try to answer on your own.
It should be a fun afternoon.
Please join us!!
For information, call Jane at 708-481-4252, or email @
www.parkforesthistory.org
New Historical Society President Takes Reins of the Same Board Grandfather Ray Served on Thirty Years Ago
At our October 2022 meeting, Chris Janota was nominated and voted in by his fellow board members to become our ninth President since the Society's inception in 1985. He was a resident of Park Forest early in life. His grandparents came to Park Forest in 1952 and remained here their whole lives, making many contributions to the village.
Chris is the grandson of Ray and Deloris Janota. Ray was the first faculty member hired at Rich Township High and chose the school colors. Deloris established the speech pathology program for District 163. He is the son of Bill and Lorraine Janota.
Chris reached out to volunteer for the board back in 2017 as a tribute to his grandparents’ love for Park Forest and was surprised to learn Ray had been an early and longtime member of the board and had designed the Hall of Fame logo.
Chris is our first descendant of a former board member to serve. He received an economics degree from Northern Illinois University and is the founder and President of Envoy Wealth Management in Crown Point, Indiana. He and his wife, Megan, reside in Northwest Indiana.
In June 2022, his accomplishments were recognized by InvestmentNews, which nominated Chris into their "40 Under 40" Class of 2022.
The board appreciates Chris for his business acumen, his experience handling all things financial, and his willingness to take on any task he has been asked to do. He has inherited the kindness and sense of humor we knew with Ray and Deloris, who were longtime active members and volunteers for the Society.
Chris has been the one who has taken PFHS into the YouTube realm and has labored long and hard to get our programs launched. With a President who is the same age as the Society, we are excited to see what the future holds.
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