information provided by Thornton Township
SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. (November 29, 2018) – Thornton Township walked away with four prestigious awards at the annual Township Officials of Illinois Conference in Springfield, Illinois:
- Caseworker of the Year, awarded to Lakeela Jennings
- Best Township Innovative Program
- Best Township Social Media
- Message of the Year, awarded to Ernst Lamothe Jr.
“It is an incredible honor to be recognized with a statewide award for the way we communicate with our residents,” said Lamothe, of Lansing. “Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli continues to push for new and groundbreaking programs and services for our community. We appreciate that all our hard work is being viewed by others outside the township.”
Thornton Township’s Community Relations Department was recognized for its social media, township brochures, website, and overall ways that it effectively educates and disseminates information to residents.
It was also the third straight year Thornton Township took home hardware, including last year’s win for Zuccarelli as Youth Department Champion of the Year and a 2016 award for Township of the Year.
“We are very proud of the hard work our staff does to provide the highest quality of service to our community,” said Frank M. Zuccarelli, Thornton Township Supervisor. “Our motto is ‘People working with people,’ and we truly believe that township government is at the ground floor of providing the necessary programs that communities need. We are honored and humbled by this award and that the Township of Illinois recognizes the hard work we have put in this year to help our local residents.”
“I work with a lot of incredible people that helped me get to where I am. I am just so thankful to work for a great township,” said Jennings.
The township also has a robust youth and adult program that features free family counseling and after school tutoring and programs in Dolton, Harvey and Riverdale.
Thornton Township is made up of all or part of 17 south suburban communities. They are a three-time winner of Township of the Year—in 2004, 2008, and 2016.
“What we do at Thornton Township is very special. Our goal is always to serve as many people as possible and get the word out about all our great programs,” said Lamothe. “We will continue to work hard in the new year to bring our township to another level.”
“We understand the importance of working together for a common goal,” added Zuccarelli. “We are here to serve the people and make sure that we build each other up and we build our communities up. We are able to accomplish this because we have a strong Board of Trustees who care about the community and a strong management team in all areas working to make sure we provide the best services possible.”
