Wilmington Chamber of Commerce News: November 2014

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Curtis is Business Person of the Year

11/25/2014 9:46:00 PM
Curtis is Business Person of the Year

TRUDY CURTIS, director, Trinity Services Net 2, is the 2014 Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year.

Pam Monson Editor
"used with the permission of The Free Press Advocate"

Twenty years ago, Trudy Curtis and Jolene Johnson were scheduled to interview prospective employees to work at the new Trinity Services residential and activity facilities in Wilmington.

They got snowed in at the old racquetball club on Buchanan Street, but dealt with the hardship and hired anyone with the gumption to show up for their appointment.

Despite that challenging start, Curtis has built the local presence of Trinity Services into a business that benefits the community as well the individuals it serves.

Curtis was named the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce and Industry's 2014 Business Person of the Year. She joins such notable local businessmen as Bill Dennis, Mike Cripe, Bonnie Southall and Kirk Bellettini as a recipient of the award that was created in 1999 to honor a business owner or manager's contribution to the community.

Curtis is the director of Trinity Services' "Net 2." Net 2 operates residential facilities in Wilmington and Braidwood as well as day centers and two businesses in Wilmington; Jasmine's on North Water Street, and The Barkery, on Baltimore Street.

She oversees the operation of both businesses, and 80 employees, most of whom are area residents. Their mission is to help people with disabilities live full and abundant lives.

"As part of that sometimes, that means helping some of our employees along the way," Curtis said. "We are a social service organization. We have tried very hard to stay tied to this community."We depend on people here, supporting us ... It's important to us that we have a good relationship with people in this community."

That dedication to and support of the community is why Curtis is being recognized by the Chamber. If she can't personally attend a function, she makes it possible for staff to take an active role in community events. Most of her contribution to the community is behind the scenes, and is a reflection of her values.

She generously gives to charities, fundraisers and events being held in Wilmington to benefit local families - especially those events that have some deep and special meaning to the staff.

"We have tried over the years; we've certainly gotten behind any of the things that our staff have been in," she said. "And we've had things for some of our staff ... that have serious illnesses."

Curtis hopes to continue seeing improvements in the downtown district, which plays into the success of Jasmine's, which supports the work of Trinity Services.

"If the downtown isn't thriving, your business can't be thriving," she said. "I want to see that downtown grow too."

Curtis and her husband Jerry live in Union Hill. They have three grown children, and seven grandchildren. She will be the grand marshal in this year's Winter Wonderland lighted Christmas parade, which steps off Nov. 29 at 5 p.m., from the middle school campus and marches north on Water Street into the downtown.

View past Business person of the year