Gene Simon awarded Cramer-Heuerman Award for Social Justice
6/7/2013
PEORIA -- Retired pastor Gene Simon, who served for 31 years as chief executive officer of Chaddock, has been named the 2013 Cramer-Heuerman Award for social justice. The award was announced at the Social Justice Dinner during annual conference.
Prior to his work at Chaddock, Simon worked as a therapist and later, as executive director at the Moultrie County Mental Health Center. From 1959 to1971, Simon served as a United Methodist minister in the Illinois communities of Iroquois, Pontiac, Moweaqua and Decatur. Prior to his call to the ministry, he operated a 400-acre grain and livestock farm in partnership with his parents in central Illinois.
In 2001, Simon received the Administrator of the Year award by The United Methodist Association of Health and Welfare Ministries.
In 2006 Chaddock was named Organization of the year by The United Methodist Association of Health and Welfare Ministries.
In 2010, Chaddock opened the Gene Simon Family Cottage, a 7,655 square- foot facility designed and built to be a welcoming, therapeutic home to the children of Chaddock. The state-of-the-art facility is environmentally friendly and is Quincy’s first LEED Certified Building.
Simon established Chaddock’s core values of spirituality, relationships, responsibility, learning, and caring. These values remain alive and well in the organization he did so much to shape. His legacy continues to impact the lives of literally thousands of children and families each and every year.
Simon and his wife, Peg celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 2012r. They have two sons, Christopher and his wife Jessica, Paul and his wife Katy and four grandchildren.
