Dilbeck shows compassion for others, passion for Siloam Springs in endeavors

It isn’t easy to get Shirley Dilbeck to talk about herself. While chatting over a cup of coffee, she speaks passionately about the needs of the children in the Siloam Springs School District, the work Rotary Club does providing clean water to third world countries and the revitalization Main Street Siloam Springs has brought to downtown. But when asked about her personal accomplishments, she quickly turns the attention to the achievements of others.

However, Dilbeck’s actions and her impact on the community speak for her.

Dilbeck has served as a natural born leader in a wide range of community and civic organizations as well as at her church.

Her talent for leadership also has shown in her professional career. She worked at Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) for 38 years and 11 months as the administrative supervisor responsible for all of the power plant’s budgeting and accounting.

Her compassion for others and her passion for her hometown helped Dilbeck earn the title of 2018 Pioneer Citizen. She will be honored, along with her fellow Pioneer Citizen Hank Harrison, during the 88th annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet in Simmons Great Hall on Thursday.

Both Shirley and her husband, Loren Dilbeck, were born in the Connelly-Harrington House, located at the intersection of Broadway and University Streets, when it served as the city’s hospital. Shirley and Loren grew up in Siloam Springs and graduated from Siloam Springs High School. The only time that the couple didn’t live in Siloam Springs was the few years they spent in Fort Hood, Texas, while Loren was in the Army.

“I was born here, raised here, worked here all my life and I’ve already bought my plot at Oak Hill (Cemetery), so I’m not leaving,” Shirley said with a laugh.

Suellen Coleman Chase, a 2016 Pioneer Citizen, said that Dilbeck’s history in Siloam Springs, her leadership and the labor she

has invested in the community make her an ideal recepient for the award.

Coleman Chase and Dilbeck went to school together, but with a five-year age gap between them, they didn’t really become close friends until they were adults. Now their husbands are also good friends and the couples enjoy traveling together.

Coleman Chase said she is amazed by Dilbeck’s accomplishments and notes that whatever Dilbeck does, she rises to the top.

“Shirley has one of the most giving hearts for people in her community that I have ever known,” Chase said. “She is a perfectionist in many ways and yet so versatile. You give her a job and not only will she do it and finish it, but it will be done to the best degree that anyone could possibly ask for.”

Dilbeck has served two terms on the Chamber of Commerce board and two terms on the organization’s executive board. In 2016, she was named board chair of the organization.

She has also served as president of organizations such as the Rotary Club, Allen Elementary School Adopters and the Junior Fortnightly Club, which later became the Heritage League. She has been very involved with organizations such as Main Street Siloam Springs and the Siloam Springs Children’s Center.

Through the years, Dilbeck has organized fundraisers such as the Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet and Outstanding Civic Leadership Event and Main Street Siloam Springs’ Main Event.

Raquel Beck has worked alongside Dilbeck organizing many of these events. No matter the task, Dilbeck does her job to perfection and gives it her all, Beck said.

“I hold (Shirley) in the highest esteem and admiration,” Beck said. “I think she truly is a person that is always willing and ready to help. She is one that walks with honor, character and integrity in all the she does. She gives of her time and her talents.”

Beck described her friend as a hard worker who easily motivates others and looks to bring out the best in them.

“She’s smart, she’s beautiful, she’s dedicated to hard work and she brings out the best in others,” Beck said.

Cindy Covington said her mother has always been a great role model. When Covington was a child, she said that Dilbeck did a great job of balancing work, motherhood and involvement with the community. Later, when Covington had a daughter of her own, her parents provided a great support system as she balanced her role as a mother and an elementary school principal.

“She was a great Nana,” Covington said. “She was the reason I was able to go back to school and work on my masters and get my administration certification, because she was able to keep Madison when she was little. … I don’t know what I would have done professionally if I hadn’t had her support.”

State Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R-District 87) noted Dilbeck’s passion for the community. Lundstrum said that Shirley and her husband Loren work to make things happen, and that Shirley is a perfect reflection of Siloam Springs’ “can do” attitude.

“Shirley loves people, she takes care of others, isn’t afraid to laugh, speaks her opinion with a smile and will roll up her sleeves to help her neighbors or a stranger,” Lundstrom said.

Dilbeck said she has a hard time sitting still when she senses a need.

“There are more needs than there are people to fill them” she said.

She is especially passionate about the needs of young students in Siloam Springs.

Dilbeck said 2017 Pioneer Citizen Judy Omo got her involved with the Northside Elementary School Adopters Program. The Chamber of Commerce program partners business leaders with local school buildings. Adopters raise money to fill needs that aren’t in the school’s budget, but they also do plenty of hands-on work.

Dilbeck was still working for the Northside Elementary School Adopters when her daughter became a teacher, and eventually a principal at the school. When Allen Elementary School was built, Covington had a hand in designing the building, as well as the school’s culture and team.

Dilbeck in turn helped found the Allen Elementary School Adopters Program.

“She was a community member supporting the school, not just my mom supporting the school,” Covington said.

In the decade Dilbeck volunteered for the program, it raised more than $100,000 for the school through its annual “Evening with the Stars,” fundraiser. The money was used to help build the school a new playground, and to provide for needs such as tablets and smart TVs in the classroom. The group also started a food pantry in the school, provided backpacks and clothing for students in need, and paid for overdue lunch bills so that no child had to eat a peanut butter sandwich while their classmates had a hot lunch.

As an adopter, Dilbeck took a hands-on approach. One year, Dilbeck and Bobby Reed volunteered together to be a homeroom mom for a class that didn’t have one.

Reed said he can’t remember a time when he didn’t know Dilbeck. He grew up going to church with her at the First Assembly of God, where she was a family friend and his Sunday school teacher.

As a youngster, Reed worked with Dilbeck on projects at church. When he became an adult and started his professional career, she asked him to join her in volunteering for the adopters program. Last year, Dilbeck took a step back to retire and travel with her husband, and Reed took her place as president of the organization.

Reed described his mentor as “Miss Siloam Springs.”

“She was born and raised here, and all the things she’s gotten to see change and grow, she’s been a part of a lot of that,” he said.

Despite all the impact that Dilbeck has had in the community, she has a way of making things “not about her,” Reed noted.

Dilbeck sees herself more as a team player than a leader, and said she feels a little uncomfortable with the spotlight on her.

When asked what inspired her compassionate spirit and her eagerness to make a difference, Dilbeck reflected back on her childhood. She said her Brownie and Girl Scout leader Barbara Akins was a big inspiration. Akins would have her scouts make cards, packages and cookies for people in the hospital and nursing home.

“I really started at a very young age,” Dilbeck said. “I didn’t realize it at the time. I just thought it was fun.”

The most valuable thing that Dilbeck has earned from her years of community service is the friendships she has made.

“I love people. … To me, that’s the jewel that comes out of it, the beautiful friendships you make along the way,” Dilbeck said.