Talat Rashid

By: Asian Media USA (02/02/2011) 

Talat Rashid received prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from Chamber of Commerce 

Bolingbrook IL: Chamber of Commerce honored Veteran community leader and activist, Mr. Talat Rashid, 

with prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in a glittering function held at the Bolingbrook Golf Club, 2001 

Rodeo Drive, Bolingbrook, IL on Friday, February 25, 2011 to celebrate the seventh Annual Best of 

Bolingbrook Businesses (“BOBB”) Awards night. This event recognizes various businesses within their 

respective industries that have shown outstanding performance and community support. 

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Asian Media USA © 

Bolingbrook IL: Chamber of Commerce honored Veteran community leader and activist, Mr. Talat Rashid, 

with prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in a glittering function held at the Bolingbrook Golf Club, 2001 

Rodeo Drive, Bolingbrook, IL on Friday, February 25, 2011 to celebrate the seventh Annual Best of 

Bolingbrook Businesses (“BOBB”) Awards night. This event recognizes various businesses within their 

respective industries that have shown outstanding performance and community support. In addition, each year 

the Chamber selects an individual to receive the Business Leadership Award, as well as a Lifetime 

Achievement recipient. The Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual that has stepped beyond 

expectations to make a positive, lasting impact on the community. He has served on the Village of 

Bolingbrook’s Planning Commission as a Planning Commissioner and was a previous recipient of the Citizen of 

the Year Award in 2003. His business earned the best business to customer award in Bolingbrook in 2006. 

In his acceptance address he said, “I am very pleased, very humble and honored to receive this lifetime award 

from the Bolingbrook Chamber of Commerce. I received this award on behalf of the Bolingbrook community, 

especially my Pakistani community. I’m also grateful to the Consulate General who took time to attend this 

function and I am indeed honored by his kind presence. The Bolingbrook is one of the best places to live. I am 

a resident here for the past twenty-five years, and I hope I can live the rest of my life here. It is a wonderful 

place. I would also thank the media people that came here. 

“I came here in 1979. As many immigrants at the time, I had a really tough time finding a job. I found a job 

with a company where I am still working. They put me in a warehouse, and my boss was an army sergeant. The 

next day he told me ‘Kid I don’t think you will survive here. You’ll probably have to find another job.’ I not 

only survived but ten years ago I was made Vice President of the company, thus becoming his boss. I would 

like to thank the handful of individuals who helped me and who are here today. 

“In closing, I’d like to say that I’m very humble to receive an award. It is not the award itself that touches my 

heart, but the community that has deemed me worthy of such an award. Again I’m very thankful to everyone. 

I’d like to say thank you to my mom, because of her prayer, her love- I am here on this day. I’m also very 

thankful to the Chamber for honoring me with this Lifetime Achievement Award. Thank you all, I love 

Bolingbrook. God bless America.” 

Mr. Rashid is a vice President in an engineering company in downtown Chicago. He taught management at 

Robert University for several years. Besides a successful businessman, he is member of Lions club and chairs 

children's event every year. He is very active in Du page township Food drive for less fortunate people. His 

business has played a vital role in helping needy individuals for the past several years. Last year he collected 

more than 35 coats to give it needy people for the drive called "COATS FOR KIDS" during x-mass season. He 

is also very active in Community service council which helps individuals with their financial needs. In the 

council's "RIDE AWAY" program a vehicle is donated to a family which cannot afford a car. 

“Bolingbrook would not be continually ranked among Money Magazine’s Top 100 Places to Live if it were not 

for citizens such as Talat Rashid”, said Mike Evans, executive director for the Bolingbrook Chamber. Talat is 

the essence of Bolingbrook’s motto,”a place to grow". The growth is evident by the two cricket fields that have 

been developed, a private school, and the annual Pakistani Independence Day Celebration which draws nearly 

10,000 people to Bolingbrook each year. Mr Talat Rashid was president of Pakistan federation of America 

Chicago and a Chairman of Pakistan Independence day parade Chicago. Mr. Rashid was instrumental in 

bringing Pakistani and Indian communities together by arranging a combined Indian and Pakistani float in 

Pathway parade in Bolingbrook every year. 

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Talat Rashid last year helped Republican Senator Mark Kirk in his campaign and will be a member of his 

advisory committee. He also help several other Republican candidates who currently are in the office. 

The Chamber also recognized Cesar Pinzon with the 2011 Business Leadership Award. Cesar began his career 

in Bolingbrook nearly fifteen years ago as an agent for American Family Insurance and now serves as the State 

Director for Illinois. 

A highly entertaining program including live jazz music, comedian and emcee Angela Riccio was followed. A 

fresh custard station was sponsored by Andy’s Frozen Custard complimented the gourmet cuisine. 

The event was sponsored this year by American Family Insurance, Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital, Quantum 

Foods, and EPIR Technologies. Among the distinguished citizens in attendance were 

Mayor Roger C. Claar was appointed Mayor in 1986 to fill a vacancy and now in his 23rd year as Mayo he is 

Bolingbrook's longest-serving Mayor. He is the only Bolingbrook Mayor to be elected to consecutive terms. He 

was elected Mayor in 1987, 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005, and 2009. 

He received his B.S. (Education) 1966 and M.S. 1968 from Eastern Illinois University and Ph.D. from Kansas 

State University and completed Graduate studies at Illinois State University, Northern Illinois University, and 

Indiana State University. Among the many awards and accolades received by him include Bolingbrook Jaycees' 

Distinguished Service Award and Silver Beaver Award, Scouting's Highest Recognition, from the Boy Scouts 

of America, VFW Post 5917, Meritorious and Distinguished Service Award, Outstanding AVA Region III 

Vocational Educator Recipient in 1991, Melvin Jones Fellows Award, Lions Club, November 2006, Operating 

Engineers Local 150 "Statesman of the Year", 2004, Rainbow Council Scouters' Best Friend Award, Father 

Frank Anksoras Council of Knights of Columbus, Citizen of the Year Award, to mention but a few. 

Photographs and Press release by: Asian Media USA 

Suresh Bodiwala 

Chairman 

Asian Media USA 

Bus: (847) 679-8583 

Fax: (847) 679-5336 

Cell: (847)420-4789 

sbodiwala@sbcglobal.net 

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Talat Rashid

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