In the end, Joanne Zendol really did not mind being the subject of “one of the best kept secrets” in south Berwyn.

Every year for the past decade, Zendol, 50, sat through the same annual state education conference without hearing anything too earth shattering. Not enough funding despite a growing number of state and federal mandates was a common cry.

And she watched as school board members received the Thomas Lay Burroughs award, marking them as the top school board members in the state each year.

“You say, ‘Great for them,’ and I never thought that would be me up there,” Zendol said.

But the South Berwyn School District 100 board president won the award after serving 20 years on the board.

“I was speechless,” she said. “I’m truly humbled by the experience. I hope it means as much to the community as it does to me. It signifies the Berwyn community is doing something right.”

She said she did not learn of her nomination until three days before the Nov. 23 conference in Chicago.

Mary Fergus, a spokeswoman for the Illinois State Board of Education, said Zendol was one of eight school board members nominated throughout the state.

Zendol, who works in sales and marketing for Art-flo in Berwyn, said the award is not a reflection on herself as much as it is of District 100 staff, fellow board members, residents and the children.

“It’s not me. I’m surrounded by great people and we work for the children,” she said. “It’s all about the kids.”

Zendol was first elected to the School Board in 1988. At the time, the district educated about 1,700 pupils in five schools. District 100 currently has eight schools for more than 3,800 pupils.

Additions have been built onto schools, as well. She said one of her top priorities has been to fight for equity in school funding.

During the past decade, the percentage of low-income pupils increased to about 77 percent from almost 27 percent, according to the district. The population of Hispanic pupils has increased during that time to 74.5 percent from 29.4 percent.

“We’ve come a long way,” Zendol said. “I’m proud to be part of the success.”