McHenry Chamber’s highest honor goes to city employee of nearly 40 years

Patrick Gorniak’s ties to the McHenry community run deep: He graduated from McHenry High School East Campus in 1985 and, the following year, he started working for the local Public Works Department’s streets division.

Over the next 40 years, Gorniak worked his way up through the ranks, becoming superintendent of the city’s parks and downtown maintenance department in 2014.

This year is a big one for Gorniak. In April, he’s due to retire. And in late January, he was awarded the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce’s highest honor: the Frank E. Low Award. It’s given to individuals who “exemplify the spirit of Low by inspiring others through selfless contribution to the community,” the chamber said in a news release.

While the city is losing 40 years of experience and knowledge with Gorniak’s retirement, McHenry Parks and Recreation Director Bill Hobson said he’s losing “the consummate big brother.”

“He is a guy that will always give you the shirt off his back and fight side by side with you,” Hobson said of Gorniak.

The fire globes that line Boone Creek along McHenry’s Riverwalk were Gorniak’s idea, Hobson said.

“He came up with that. He sees something and he finds these ideas [and figures out], how do we make this work here?” Hobson said.

Now the annual Light the Night at Miller Point Park includes those fire globes being lit for the fall season, and for every Saturday night going into the fall. The rest of the year, globes are lit with color-changing LED lights.

Other projects Gorniak has taken on including clearing sidewalks in all three downtown McHenry areas, tending the hanging flower baskets, and lighting Veterans Memorial Park and the downtown area for the winter holiday season.

McHenry had been hiring a company that came out to hang the lights at Veterans Park, Hobson said. Gorniak saw that he and the parks crew could do it better, and at a better price, saving the city money.

According to the chamber, Gorniak has left his mark on McHenry by leading transformative projects like the expansion of the McHenry Riverwalk and enhancements to parks and public spaces.

“Patrick’s innovative ideas have turned simple concepts into cherished community experiences,” the chamber said in a news release. “His work has elevated his reputation.”

Gorniak received his award at the chamber’s recent annual gala, this year themed, “The Beach Ball: A Trip to the Tropics,” with many attendees dressing up in Hawaiian-style outfits.

Sue Low Meyer, the former mayor of McHenry and daughter-in-law of the late Frank Low, presented the award. Frank Low was one of the founders of Fiesta Days and was heavily involved in the community.