We support & enrich aging through community building & advocacy.
Our Board
Phyllis Rubin, President
Phyllis fell in love with AWN when she started attending MeetUps, then joined Mix of Minds and, because of the warmth and camaraderie of each group she tried, she was sold and agreed to go on the Board!
Judy Smith, Vice President
Judy has been involved with AWN since 2016 in various capacities. She has a background in law and gerontology that she uses in pro bono legal work for low income older adults. Her favorite thing about AWN is the people and the connections they make with each other.
Don Burk, Treasurer
Don is the AWN Treasurer. He, and his wife Margaret, have been involved in AWN from its beginning. Don enjoys the social events, the new friends he has made, and the advocacy work related to housing and the environment.
Hilda Schlatter, Secretary
Hilda has worked for the State of Illinois, Metropolitan Services, and Walgreens Health Initiatives. In retirement, Arbor West has given her the opportunity to reach out, give back.
Ralph Lee, Member at Large
Ralph came from a career of high school, college, and university teaching and administration, which included sixteen years teaching chemistry and physics at OPRF High School. He is a forty-four-year resident of Oak Park, with four daughters, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Trudy Doyle, Member at Large
Trudy Doyle has volunteered in many local groups, including First Tuesday, The Oak Park Regional Housing Center, St. Giles Family Mass Community, the League Of Women Voters, and the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association. She worked for thirty years as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant, at several large law firms in the Loop, initially specializing in Estates and Trusts, and later working in Insurance Litigation.
Sun-Hee Youn, Member at Large
Sun-Hee Yoon is the founder and CEO of Sage Lifestyle Concierge, which helps seniors age gracefully in their own homes. She is also a board member of the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition and Advocacy Task Force.
Cecily Mango, Member at Large
Cecily Mango joined AWN in 2022 and the Board in 2023 as a Member-at-Large. She is also co-Chair of the Membership Working Group. Cecily spent 30 years working in international development and, as a Foreign Service Officer, served overseas with the U.S. Agency for International Development. She is active in several other Oak Park organizations.
William Peterman, Member at Large
William (Bill) Peterman is a 43-year resident of Oak Park. He has a PhD in (urban) Geography from the University of Denver. He had a long-standing involvement with the Oak Park Regional Housing Center planning the Oak Park Exchange Congress on the Center’s board. He currently coordinates a program that provides lunches once each week for the Housing Forward transitional shelter.
Arbor West Neighbors
Arbor West Neighbors (AWN) is a grassroots organization of neighbors in Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park and Austin connected to support and enrich aging through community building and advocacy. Our mission is to empower adults to thrive as we age in community.
Our vision is to build a multi-ethnic, multicultural community where all older adults are valued, age with dignity, and enjoy opportunities for growth and engagement.
We are an all-volunteer 501(c)3 organization with over 120 members.