Village Honors Citizens of the Year at Board Meeting

A lion, a non-profit point-person and the family of one of the best young women's basketball players in the country were honored Tuesday as citizens of the year.

Margie Oftedahl, Charlie Siefert and the Massengale Family took the honors of 2011 Citizens of the Year Awards, which is awarded to one man, one woman and one family annually.

Female Citizen of the Year: Margie Oftedahl

Oftedahl, a Bolingbrook resident for nearly 40 years, is the president of the Autism Society of Illinois; president of the Joliet branch of the American Association of University Women; and president of the Special Education Parent Teacher Organization' AAUW Women in High Esteem award winner' Phi Delta Kappa Educator of the Year among other accolades.

A teacher since 1967, Oftedahl began teaching in the in 1986 and has worked in some capacity at , , North View, and before recently retiring.

While at Valley View, she worked tirelessly with peers and administrators to help deliver an after-school program designed to enhance the reading and math skills of students challenged in those areas.

Oftedahl is also involved with the Choir,, , Bolingbrook Women's Club and the Illinois Junior Miss Scholarship program.

Married for 44 years to her husband Mel, a retired Hinsdale South High School music director, the Oftedahls have two children, Mark, who works part time for the DuPage Township and is the 2011 Special Olympics athlete of the year in Illinois, and Melissa, a coordinator of children's ministry for Northland Church in Florida.

Male Citizen of the Year: Charlie Siefert

Siefert has been described as peers as the glue that holds the Bolingbrook Lions Club together and is the longest serving member of the club, which formed in 1966.

A Vietnam veteran and Bolingbrook resident since 1972, Siefert is known as the "Godfather" of the Bolingbrook Lions. But don't let the movie reference throw you—Siefert has a kind heart and is always willing to give his time to the community.

Siefert has held almost every position with the Lions, including president and secretary, and has been a trusted to advisor to many district governors on the district and state level.

Siefert was the first member of the club to receive the A. Melvin Jones Award, LIF Fellow and the President's Medal.

Siefert and his wife Nancy have been married for 41 years and have four children, Chris, Amy, Julie and Nathan.

Family of the Year: The Massengales

You've undoubtedly heard of Ariel Massengale. She's the one who's helped lead the girls basketball team to the last few seasons. She's also the one who was women's basketball team before stepping toe in a classroom.

But who you may not have heard of is Ariel's supporting cast, her family.

The Massengale's—Carvel and Anita and their two children Avery and Ariel—moved to in 1990 for a job promotion.

Both Carvel and Anita were involved in sports—like-mother-like-daughter, Anita was an all-state high school basketball player at Cascade High School in Tennessee.

Carvel, along with David Tuck, is credited with creating the first girls basketball traveling AAU team started in Bolingbrook and has volunteered countless hours coaching youth sports in the village. He is also a deacon at Jubilee Baptist Church.

Anita, meanwhile, has served on the village's civic and cultural affairs commission until just recently.

Not to be the black sheep of the family, Avery is also involved in youth sports, helping out with Bolingbrook Youth Baseball, Bolingbrook Trojans and Bolingbrook Community Basketball. Avery graduated from in 2001.