Meet Donna Dallas, the face of this year's Gurnee Days

Gurnee Days is the event of the year for residents, so there’s pressure to get it right, according to Donna Dallas, 2013’s president of the executive board for Gurnee Days Corporation.

Luckily for the Gurnee Days Corporation, Dallas is a strong organizer, as the deputy clerk and assistant to the mayor for the Village of Gurnee. She got her start in the corporate world, working at Abbott Laboratories and Discover Financial Services, but has found fulfillment in being able to help others as a public worker, she said.

Dallas shared the story of the work behind Gurnee Days, Aug. 8 -11, along with some exciting news for the 41st Gurnee Days celebration.

Who plans Gurnee Days?

The first Gurnee Days was in 1973, and the Gurnee Days Corporation formed in 1979. The Gurnee Days Corporation is made up of many different people – business leaders, Lions Club members and people at the Gurnee Park District. The executive board is made up of the two past presidents, president elect, a secretary and treasurer. Then there are 32 committees to work on different areas of Gurnee Days – the planning process goes very smoothly because the committee chairpeople are very good at what they do. All the work is done strictly by volunteers.
The executive board meets on the first Wednesday of every month at the Gurnee Police Department at 7 p.m.

How did you become president this year?

I am honored and excited to be the 2013 president. I was shocked when they asked me to be a president elect last year. The president is always someone from the community, and it's just a one-year term. We had duo 2012  presidents: Lisa Sheppard and Jan Boettle. I've been working with Gurnee Days since 2008. When I started with Gurnee Days, I was working out sanitation, making sure all the portalets were where they were supposed to be. The portalets are all donated by Waste Management for Gurnee Days and are free for the village. That's something people should know.
[Being president is] challenging because it takes a lot of organizational skills and commitment. If you're not committed to it, there's no way it would work. I do a lot of outside activities but I'm holding them off in 2013 to really focus on Gurnee Days.

How do you balance being president for Gurnee Days Corp with your village duties?

I usually take one day a week to focus on Gurnee Days. I'm a very project-oriented person. Any questions I have, I'll ask Jan Boettle. She's been [in Gurnee Days Corporation] since it was formed, she's a past president, and she's also been a Gurnee Days honoree. She's the expert for all the policies, so she's my go-to person.
[Being deputy clerk] is the first public job I've had. Before I always worked for corporate America, where you work under your own little umbrella and don't really interact with the community. When you work in the public sector, it's one-on-one every day. Quality of life in Gurnee is really important to me now. This job really had my name on it. I've been able to help a lot of people and it's very rewarding.

What are the challenges?

The publicity portion of Gurnee Days is something new for us. The website – www.gurneedays.com – is going to be improved this year to make it more user-friendly. We want to make it easier for volunteers to get involved, and we're working on getting on Facebook and Twitter.

How is Gurnee Days funded?

For 2012, our income was $64,000. We get most of the money as donations from business owners and corporate sponsors. We start under budget and money comes in throughout the year.
Our biggest sponsors are the Village of Gurnee, Gurnee Park District, Khm Plastics, the Gurnee Chamber of Commerce, Community Trust Bank and Vista. The business leaders in Gurnee Days Corporation do a great job of bringing in donations.

What's new for this year's celebration?

Last year, we tried having a beer and music Garden, and a lot of people enjoyed it. It was a success, so we're bringing it back this year but we're expanding it to two nights, Friday and Saturday. We're also going to add wine to the garden, and we hope to have an even bigger turnout.
Also, by popular demand, we're bringing back the movie night in the park. We're talking about doing an Amazing Race, and we'll be figuring that out in January.

Why are the fireworks during Gurnee Days instead of the Fourth of July?

The village used to do them during Gurnee Days and the Fourth of July, but we dropped the Fourth of July fireworks a few years back because the village had to pay for both shows and it was too expensive. Six Flags still does Fourth of July fireworks, and the Gurnee Days fireworks are really great.

What's this year's theme?

The theme for 2013 is Ahoy Matey, It's Gurnee Days! We got the pirate theme from a big board of ideas. We were looking for something kid-friendly since Gurnee is all about families. We're hoping for some really great parade floats this year.

How can residents get involved?

Anyone who wants to volunteer, please do. Volunteers, especially residents, bring new ideas to the table and they bring something special to the entire Gurnee Days Corporation. Volunteers can go to our website or call me directly at 847-599-7505. Check our website starting in March to register as parade participants or vendors.

What's your favorite part of Gurnee Days?

The food is awesome. It's like a mini Taste of Chicago. We have about 12 food vendors.
Walking around and seeing how much is done by so few people is really amazing. There's not even 30 people in the Gurnee Days Corporation and they achieve so much. [This year] I'll be walking around overseeing everything, because if there are any problems or complaints, they'll be looking for me.

What are your personal goals for Gurnee Days?

I’d like some perfect weather, smiles on everyone’s faces, and a sense of accomplishment when everything’s done.