By Jim Hunt for the News and Journal
On my list of cities, I would like to visit, I place Normal, Illinois near the top. I have
always been fascinated by a place named “Normal” since I met Sonja and Jerry Reece
at a National League of Cities event many years ago. Sonja was a member of the
Normal Town Council and Jerry was her husband. I can remember Jerry smiling when
he let me know that he and Sonja were the only two “normal” people at the conference.
This started a years-long friendship, and my National League of Cities events weren’t
complete until I got to see my normal friends from Normal. Jerry passed away in 2010
and Sonja was heartbroken but kept her passion for community involvement until this
day.
The town of Normal was originally named North Bloomington but the name was
changed in 1865 and officially incorporated on February 25, 1867. The name was taken
from Illinois State Normal University which was what teacher training institutions were
called at the time. The town’s population is over 52,000 and the Bloomington-Normal
metro area is the seventh most populous community outside the Chicago metropolitan
area. State Farm Insurance Company is the region’s largest employer with over 13,000
employees and EV manufacturer contributes another 7,500 employees. The
Bloomington-Normal Metro area is often cited for having a great quality of life and was
ranked the No. 1 Happiest City in the U.S. by Zippia.com and No. 2 ranked Best City for
Recent College Graduates.
In my book, The Amazing City-7 Steps to Creating an Amazing City, I emphasized the
importance of branding and I think that Normal has embraced its quirky character and
created an Amazing city for its residents. They renamed their business district to
Uptown Normal and have made major investments to create a live, work, play
environment for both businesses and residents. The relationship between Illinois State
University and the Town of Normal has created a healthy, “Town-Gown” atmosphere
and the 21,000 students create opportunities for civic engagement and school pride.
The Town of Normal and Illinois State University have been active members of the
International Town & Gown Association whose mission is to help solidify town and gown
partnerships.
The city hosts events throughout the year with children’s events, theater, and golf being
prominent attractions. The Children’s Discovery Museum is in Uptown Normal and
provides a variety of experiences for children to inspire a love for learning through the
power of play. Parks and recreation are also abundant in the Town of Normal and an
active public art program has displays in local parks and the Uptown Station.
I’m planning a visit to Normal in 2025 and hope to see my friend, Sonja for a personal
tour. Sonja lives in a high rise in the Uptown Normal district and posts a picture of the
activity out her window, almost every day on Facebook. I was also pleasantly surprised
to read that Sonja Reese had been chosen as the 2024 Citizen of the Year in Normal for
her continued efforts to make her community a better place to live.