2006 GRAND ASIAN AWARDEE


 THE HON. ROGER C. CLAAR
 Mayor, City of Bolingbrook

ABOUT THE HON. ROGER C. CLAAR / 2006 GRAND ASIAN AWARDEE

 

Roger C. Claar was appointed Mayor of the Village of Bolingbrook in 1986 to fill a vacancy. He is now in his 18th year as Mayor.  He was elected Mayor in 1987, 1989, 1993, and 1997 and 2001. Claar is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University, where he received his B.S. and M.S. degrees, and of Kansas State University, where he received his Ph.D. He formerly served as Village of Bolingbrook Trustee, from 1979 to 1985.

 

Mayor Claar was introduced to the Asian American Coalition of Chicago Lunar New Year Celebration in 1995, and has enjoyed attending this event every year since then. Claar has included Asian Americans in his Village administration; and has also appointed several Asian Americans to various official commissions. He visited China in 2004, taking with him several Village officials as well as businessmen of Bolingbrook. Next month, he plans to visit India and Pakistan. The diverse population of the Village of Bolingbrook is 35.5% minorities, of which 6.4% of that is Asian, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Although Bolingbrook has less Asian Americans in population than some local villages, it has more Asian Americans appointed to official commissions than others with a higher Asian population.

 

In the past, the Coalition’s Grand Asian Award was given to luminaries such as U.S. Senator Paul Simon, Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. This is the first time that the award is being given to a Mayor of a local community where a significant number of Asian Americans live. Claar was nominated by community leadership this year, in the hopes of making a statement to other local Mayors, that it is time that Asian Americans are recognized in the communities in which they live, work and play.

 

E-mail of the 23rd Annual Asian American Coalition of Chicago Celebration 2006: aaccfeb2006@hotmail.com, or aaccfeb2006@yahoo.com 
Last updated: 22 January 2006 21:41 by Martino Tangkar (Webmaster)