2007 Hallmark Awards

2007 Hallmark Civic Award

Mark Kreger

Mark currently serves as a Vice-President of Creative Promotional Products in Skokie, Illinois. A native of the north side (Evanston Township Highschool), Mark was raised a Cubs fan. He has fond memories of his grandfather, who would take Mark to games at Wrigley. He is sure his grandfather wouldn't mind him pulling for the south-siders...just not during the cross-town classic.

Mark resides in downtown Chicago. His hobbies include golf, lacrosse adn designing a new condo tha he recently acquired with his girlfriend Robyn.

Philanthropy is nothing new to mark and his family, and contributing to such a worthy cause is par for the course. When Mark was in Jr. High School his parents encouraged him to join the Kiwanis Club. Their major annual fund raiser put Mark at street intersections and el train stations with a collection can solliciting nickels, dimes, quarters, anything to help raise money for the charity. Mark improved his throwing ar tossing the famous bags of Kiwanis peanuts. His position at Creative Promotional Products has allowed him to provide great give-away items and other gift items such as golf balls, golf bags, journal books, pens, etc. to the CBCC golfers.

Mark would like to give a special 'thank you' to Howard Kaplan and his son, Jaeson, who introduced him to the CBCC five years ago.

2007 Hallmark Executive Award

Brooks Boyer

Brooks Boyer enters his fourth season as vice president and chief marketing officer in 2007 with the White Sox coming off their best attendance mark ever, drawing 2,957,411 fans to U.S. Cellular Field in 2006. In August 2006, the White Sox topped all other Chicago sports teams in Scarborough Research's WAL (Watched, Attended, Listened) figures, with 57.3 percent of all Chicagoans taking in a Sox game in 2006. The team also established all-time highs in season tickets sold, group tickets sold and corporporate partnerships.

After joining the White Sox in April 2004, Boyer made an immediate impact on the team's marketing, promotions, advertising and in-game entertainment. Boyer's goal is to create an exciting ballpark atmosphere that complements the action on the field by enhancing the ballpark experience for Sox fans of every age. In 2005 and 2006, the team's "take the field" audio and video montage were well-received by Sox fans as was the re-introduction of the "Go-Go White Sox" song from the 1950s. In 2007, weeknight games at U.S. Cellular Field began at 7:11 p.m., thanks to a unique new sponsorship from 7-Eleven.

Boyer, who worked for the Chicago Bulls for 10 seasons before joining the Sox, is responsible for the club's marketing, promotions, advertising, business development and braodcasting efforts, as well as overseeing ticket, sponsorship and premium seating sales. He brings a focus on first-class customer service to White Sox season ticket holders, sponsors and fans.

Boyer was named a member of the 2007 class of the Sports Business Journal's "40 Under 40," recognizing 40 of the nation's top sports executives under the age of 40.

Boyer is a member of the board of Chicago White Sox Charities, the club's charitable initiative that annually provides support to various programs and charities throughout the Chicago area.

A 1994 graduate of notre Dame, where he was a member of the basketball team (1990-94) and a two-time captain, Boyer also is a graduate of the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul. He and his wife, Julie, reside in Westmont with their four children.