Peggy Frank, AAUW Naperville Area 2016 Woman of the Year

Peggy Frank, Naper Settlement Executive Director (Retired), is named our 2016 Woman of the Year for her career-long efforts to promote, grow, and preserve Naperville’s rich history, and to develop Naper Settlement as the only accredited outdoor history museum in Illinois.

In 1979 when few leadership positions were held by women, Peggy Frank was hired as Naper Settlement’s director by Peg Yonker, president of the Naperville Heritage Society. Peggy, with a degree in museum studies, was the museum’s first paid employee. In a 2009 interview, she said she was looking for a job that allowed her to “be outdoors, work with volunteers, and preserve American history.” In 2006, the Heritage Society board and Naper Settlement staff developed a long-range plan for Naper Settlement’s future. Peggy noted, “We have been responsive to the community and that has been the key to our success. History can only be real if people connect to it.” Peggy retired as Naper Settlement Executive Director in 2013.