Preserving the Past, Serving the Future: Rich Kulovany’s Community Legacy
Humble Beginnings and Early Roots in Downers Grove
Rich Kulovany’s story begins in 1952 at West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park. His parents were living in Chicago above a paint store, but Downers Grove was already in their future. While Rich and his twin brother, Tom, were still infants, their father, Joseph, a Marine Corps veteran of the Battle of Iwo Jima, who was a machinist and carpenter in civilian life—with the help of family members, was building the family’s home at 240 4th Street on the NE corner of 4th and Florence. They moved in when the twins were not yet a year old and their older brother, Robert, had just turned three. That house became the foundation of a multigenerational story rooted in resilience, service, and love of Downers Grove.
Rich’s upbringing was shaped by strong role models: hard-working parents and a maternal grandmother, who lived with the family, who faced adversity with courage, from immigration and war to the Great Depression. As a boy, Rich often cared for his sick grandmother, after he came home from school, an early lesson in compassion and responsibility. These values would guide him throughout his personal, professional, and civic life.
Growing up, ”Because both or parents worked, my brothers and had a lot of freedom and enjoyed a ‘Huck Finn’ type existence. We would go to the wetlands at the foot of 2nd Street at Cumnor to collect tadpoles, an occasional frog, and cattails that we made into torches to light our way through the new culvert behind Whittier School, all the way to the tracks. After that we just might have climbed on the roof of the school to kick dodge balls back down into the playground,” he said with a grin.
Rich developed an early and deep connection to the downtown community, where his mother, Val, worked as the lead cosmetician at Walgreen’s. “My mom knew everyone who worked downtown, and everyone knew her, which meant everyone knew me too,” said Rich. “Plus my twin brother and I were always doing something downtown,” he added. By age 12, he was already working part-time as a bagger there during Christmas. Multiple paper routes during grade school kept him busy before and after school, culminating with selling papers inside the Fairview Avenue train station, “Standing in front of that radiator, was a welcome reprieve from delivering the Tribunes in the cold, dark and snowy winter mornings,” said Rich. This early work ethic and sense of responsivity stayed with him throughout his life.
School Years and a Lifelong Partnership
A 1970 graduate of Downers Grove South High School, Rich attended Whittier Elementary and O’Neill Jr. High School before entering “South,” only the fourth class to do so. His love of singing, acting and leadership would carry him through his student years — joining the choir at O’Neill, where they performed The Mikado, the choir every year at South, lead roles in dramas and musicals plus a summer stock production after graduation: 110 in the Shade, directed by Rich’s most impactful teacher, Barbara Barnes. “Miss Barnes had a way of pulling the best out of me, even though I was quite the class clown,” explained, Rich. He managed the Marketing Club’s concession stand, gaining rudimentary business skills, coupled with stage presence and preparation, would give him skills that would carry him forward in every endeavor.
It was in freshman choir that he met Kathy. Their first date was February 8, 1969 in the Chicago Loop. Thet were both juniors and Rich sat right behind her in—you guessed it—History Class. They married just 3 1/2 years later on September 2, 1972 at Downers Goves’s St. Mary of Gostyn Church and held their reception at the DG American Legion Hall.
Throughout high school, Rich balanced athletics, music, and work — including working at Franksville on Ogden Avenue, where he was quickly promoted to one of two assistant manager positions—his twin held the other—and later working at National Foods in downtown DG.
Early Civic Engagement
Hard work & volunteerism had been woven into his life since childhood, beginning with selling raffle tickets and chocolate bars for Sokol Gymnastics, managing several paper route, and later an ice-cream cart route, where he sold 250 to 350 popsicles and ice cream bars per day to earn $5 to $7. “I also won a $100, summer-end bonus, for having the most sales,” said Rich.
As an adult, he volunteered and was elected to be a precinct committeeman. In 1980, his civic involvement led him to volunteer for Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign. At 27, he was elected as a Township Trustee in DuPage Township (Will County) and a year later Republican Township Chairman and a member of the Will County Republican Executive Board. He and Kathy attended Reagan’s first inauguration in 1981 — a memory they still treasure.
Though encouraged to run for state representative against a then-unknown wrestling coach from Yorkville named Denny Hastert, Rich declined. With three young children and a full-time job in the computer industry, the timing wasn’t right.
Rich also organized a petition drive that included recruiting 200 volunteers to successfully obtain 20,000 signatures to help win approval for Hinsdale Hospital to build a hospital and ER in Bolingbrook. “Roger Claar, the Mayor of Bolingbrook, invited me back in 1987, after I had returned to the area after an out-of-state career move, to testify at a hearing of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board. It would take 21 more years, but the hospital was finally completed in 2008, the first new hospital in the state for 25 years,” explained Rich. This woold not be the last time that perseverance would bring ultimate success and value to the community.
Career and Family Life
Rich decided to switch his focus from civic duty to growing his career. A promotion took Rich to NCR World Headquarters and the family to Dayton, Ohio in 1982, launching his transition into national sales leadership and finally responsibility for countrywide distributor sales in 11 Asian and Pacific Rim Countries. “Those trips were a grueling three weeks long. Too long to leave a wife and three young kids to be without their husband and father,” said Rich. (His final trip to the Far East started on Mother’s Day and his son Michael’s birthday. By the summer of 1987, Rich made several career and life decisions. He decided to leave the computer/POS business, find a position in the enterprise computer software business, leave NCR Corporation and move back home to Downers Grove. Rich found a position at SSA, a Chicago based ERP software developer, who would in a few years become the global market leader. The family moved back to DG, to reside on Dearborn Parkway, two blocks directly north of O’Neill, and two houses south of Patriot’s Park, the home of Barth Pond (55th Street Pond when Rich was young) and eventually building a home in Fairview Point — continuing the hands-on tradition he learned from his father.
Rich’s career advanced at SSA to manager of North American Affiliate Operations and Director of Sales, Western Region, where he commuted from Chicago to San Franscisco, prior to relocating there. He was recruited to a Chicagoland based DRP software company as their Vice President of Sales, allowing him to remain in the Chicago area. “I still traveled throughout the U. S., but I got to sleep in my own bed when I was not flying somewhere,” said Rich. A later career opportunity brought him to Tampa, Florida, where he joined the medical software company, Nextech, to be their Vice President of Sales, helping grow the company dramatically. “I travelled to all 50 states, five Canadian provinces and some 24 counties during my career, flying no less than 2 million miles,” said Rich.
After a private equity acquisition and then merger led to corporate restructuring, Rich faced job loss at age 62. On January 1–2, 2015, he and Kathy drove back to their beloved Downers Grove.
A new chapter awaited.
Served When Asked
As a follower of Jesus Christ, Rich always felt gratified to help out at church and tie that service to his passions and strong suits. This included being an usher, singing in the choir and ensembles and leading recruitment campaigns to double the size of two choirs, one in Naperville and the other in Lithia Florida. He helped with the four-year old’s Sunday School and taught a first-grade Sunday School class.
The Edwards House and a Preservation Movement
Even from Florida, he had been engaged in trying to save the historic Edwards House at 942 Maple from demolition. What began as his online advocacy and support for a grass-roots preservation effort evolved into a position on the leadership team of Friends of the Edwards House. Though the Edwards House was ultimately demolished, becoming the “sacrificial lamb,” that would spur on historic preservation in Downers Grove. The movement shifted from anger toward efforts to improve the village’s historic preservation ordinance to make it more user-friendly and popular.
Landmarking and Organizational Leadership
Rich and other team members helped organize an education and outreach program for ‘Friends’ to use to increase the number of landmarked properties in town. Leading an effective door-to-door campaign, the group became very effective at engaging and educating the public. Drawing on decades of sales and marketing experience, Rich and fellow advocates explained the benefits of landmarking at a number of informative presentations. “There was never any selling or convincing, just inviting then explaining,” said Rich. The approach was successful — within 2 years, 18 properties were landmarked. Showing that diligence, caring about people and hard work can make a positive and lasting difference within a community.
When organizational structural questions arose — such as fundraising without nonprofit status — he created the nonprofit incorporation filing, worked with a Chicago law firm to develop the organization’s bylaws and navigating compliance. He also filed the necessary applications with the IRS to gain 501(c)(3) status and the State to gain tax exempt status. His corporate skill set translated seamlessly to volunteer leadership.
The group’s success earned them statewide recognition through Landmarks Illinois’ 2017 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Advocacy — a volunteer-oriented award. “I was shocked that we won that award because I had not even heard of it before we won it,” explained Rich. “It was an amazing and humbling honor,” added Rich.
Rich’s involvement with ‘Friends’ caught the eye of Pierce Downer Heritage Alliance, another DG organization focused on preservation and conservation. In 2015, Kulovany was invited to serve on the board of directors, supporting efforts to add educational conservancy programs to District 58’s curriculum, to preserve natural areas, increase Downers Grove’s tree canopy, and to preserve historically significant structures in the Village. His involvement focused on meetings with the Director of Morton Arboretum’s Chicago Region Trees Initiative, where he gathered valuable information on the successful tree protection ordinances in various Chicago suburbs; participating in the District 58 Arbor Day educational, tree planting ceremonies; the Highland Avenue “Adopt a Highway” clean up near Lyman Woods; arranging guided wildflower walks through Belmont Prairie, nature walks through Lyman Woods; and reaching out to the President and also the supervisor of outdoor maintenance of Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, to bring to their attention to the invasive species that were growing in the hospital owned buffer zone adjacent to Lyman Woods. He also met periodically with the Executive Director of the Downers Grove Park District and encouraged a meaningful ongoing relationship
After leaving Friends in October of 2017, he joined the Downers Grove Historical Society board in early 2018, where he championed oral history video projects, helped modernize bylaws, and strengthened the Historic Home Program. Drawing on his experience from video production work with OneWay Ministries’ “Chicago 77” project, he helped produce new documentary-style videos to highlight the historic contributions made by prominent Downers Grove residents including the Mochel Family, who Rich had known since 7th grade and Argonne’s Dr. Diter M. Gruen. Rich said, “When important Downers Grove people make it to their 90’s, you just have to get their compelling stories on film!”
Historical Society board colleague Amy Gassen introduced Rich to the concept of downtown design review and architectural guidelines that “had teeth.” after a new downtown apartment complex went up with a great deal of resident opposition. Their research took them to five Chicago suburbs to meet with the community development/planning directors to determine best practices. In 2019, after years of advocating unsuccessfully with Downers Grove elected officials, Rich decided to run and was elected to the Downers Grove Village Council. His intent was to champion this effort from the inside. There, he was successful in passing stronger downtown design standards and review and helped fellow Commissioner, Marge Earl pass parkway tree preservation to better protect the Village’s 23,000 owed trees — always viewing policy through the lens of long-term community identity. Showing that dedication, persistence and follow-throat can make good things happen for one’s community.
Even a 99-day hospitalization with COVID-19 did not fully remove him from service; he actually attended three Village Council meetings remotely from his hospital bed, having the Village Commissioner packet delivered in advance so Rich could prepare.
A Legacy of Inspiration
Across every chapter — township chairman, corporate executive, preservation advocate, nonprofit incorporator, video producer, council commissioner — the through line remains consistent: analyze the system, enact improvements, build relationships, do the work.
Today, even after moving to Scottsbluff, Nebraska, he continues to support Downers Grove’s efforts remotely, including serving as the DG Historical Society’s Treasurer, on the Events Committee and the Historic Homes Program Committee.
Volunteering has added such richness and texture to my life. It’s just so gratifying,” said Rich.
When asked what he would say to aspiring volunteers, he said, “Don’t be afraid to try something,” he advises. “Most of the skill sets you built in your career transfer over.”
History was always Rich’s favorite subject in school, and now he has helped write a meaningful chapter about historic preservation in Downers Grove’s story.
