Shanley named Hometown Hero in the Cheerleader category
Submitted photo
Former Peoria Diamond Club General Manager Rosalind Shanley has been named a Peoria Independent Hometown Hero in the Cheerleader category.
Posted
More information
To learn more about the Peoria Diamond Club or to donate, email: pdc@peoriadiamondc.ub.org
How to Nominate
Know somebody in Peoria who should be recognized as a Hometown Hero? Here is how to do it.
Email: Send your nomination to aznews@iniusa.org, or fill out this nomination form yourvalley.net/hh-nomination/index.html.
After that: the nomination will be reviewed, and monthly winners will be selected based on their community contributions. Nominations should include name, email address and phone number along with the category of nomination, some details about the person being nominated and their accomplishments.
The Hometown Heroes Awards are a celebration of individuals who live, work or teach in the city, and Peoria businesses for their achievements and distinguished contributions to the community and beyond.
Shanley will be honored at an awards luncheon next month. The third annual Hometown Heroes luncheon will honor those nominated in 2023.
What I like most about living/working in Peoria: I am a 26-year resident of Peoria and am proud of all that this city offers in the way of quality of life- recreationally, culturally, safety — we have it all. The growth has been astounding in that time, but we’ve somehow managed to keep a small-town appeal too.
Personal background highlights: I am the youngest of four children from two loving parents, raised in Northbrook, Illinois, with a large extended, loud, and loving Sicilian family in the Chicago area. I still have many close friends from my early years. I am married to my husband, Brian, for 33 years and we have two intelligent, beautiful, and independent daughters (31 and 29) and an amazing new son-in-law that all live out of state. Oh, and two 13-month-old labs that keep us busy.
Professional background highlights: I have had many different jobs over the years. Schooling included a Bachelor of Science from ASU, an MSW from Loyola Univ of Chicago, but I have worked in fields from the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, to pool designing to substitute teaching. I am also a certified life coach. In 2009, I landed my favorite job with the Peoria Diamond Club. I was the volunteer coordinator for seven years, then served on their board of directors for three years, before I took the general manager job where I was until 2019. I’ve managed up to 600 volunteers in a year and learned networking, event planning, grant processing, board management, and maintaining relationships and partnerships. The best is our mission of giving back to the childrens' programs.
What does it mean to be a Peoria resident/worker?
A solid sense of community — I did the Peoria Leadership Academy years ago and strongly suggest all residents do it.
Changes I’d like to see in this area: More money for schools. They are overcrowded, teachers are underpaid, and supplies are limited. Not sure what the answer is but these kids are our future and we’re not investing enough in them.
My family (what have they taught you): I was blessed to have grown up in a home with three amazing siblings, two loving parents and a Sicilian grandmother that lived with us. They taught me there is nothing more important than our family bond. My husband and my kids are my foundation and their support and love is paramount. I wish that for everybody.
My interests and hobbies: Sports of any kind, playing and watching. But these days, my activities include golf, hiking and pickleball. I love to draw and write, to design, to build or craft, to interior decorate and have always enjoyed travel.
The trait(s) I admire in others: empathy, honesty and respectfulness.
People who inspired me (and how): My mother was by far my biggest inspiration — an angel on Earth. She instilled in us the simple, yet not so simple rule of “just be nice.” (Her quote is painted on my bathroom wall! Haha!) My husband keeps me grounded. And even though my kids are grown, they inspire me each day to see things through their eyes, to continue to instill in them the traditions and beliefs of the past but also to look ahead and stay the course to be the mom to them that I was privileged to be.
My guiding philosophy: Faith first — pray more, worry less. And that we are all so much more than we think. We have the power within each of us to be, have, or do whatever we want. Keep dreaming and believing it’s possible.
My advice to today’s youth: Same as the previous question, but also, enjoy nature. Put the phone down and connect with people face to face. Experience travel, other places and cultures. Look for the good in people and things. Be inquisitive, learn something new each day. Use respect and forgiveness in abundance. Oh, and, “just be nice.”
Name a couple future goals: Prioritizing my wellness, physically and mentally. Now that I am retired, I plan to pursue all the interests and hobbies I listed before. I will play more than I have been, but know that I will still stay involved in the community and give back somehow. I have to.
