Name: Jamie Saam
Age: 29
Tie to Kane County: Resides in Batavia
What makes her intriguing: The community advocate — who juggles numerous community activities and jobs within Batavia — was one of the youngest people to run for Batavia City Council two years ago
Words To Live By: “Let all that you do be done in love.” — 1 Corinthians 16:14
Batavia resident Jamie Saam knows how to juggle a lot on her plate.
The former manager of The RendezVu Restaurant in Batavia and mother of three spends her busy weekdays co-running Bulldog Plumbing with her husband, Doug, planning events for Batavia MainStreet and preparing for the 2013 Batavia municipal election with whatever time she has left.
In addition to her work with MainStreet, she also is the end of the season manager for the Batavia Farmers’ Market. Currently, Saam is working with River City Church to bring a local focus to their community outreach and marketing.
With her 30th birthday approaching in July, Saam has accomplished more in the past five years than many do in a lifetime.
Saam attended college at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she studied communications and sociology before realizing she had a passion for event planning. Jumping at the opportunity to carry out her passion by coordinating parties and events at The RendezVu, Saam was able to plant herself in a nurturing community that offered many chances to prosper.
While working at The RendezVu, Saam joined Batavia MainStreet where she was granted the role of serving as committee chair for the organization’s annual gala. She later joined the board of directors before finally settling in again as a chairperson for MainStreet’s Cocktails on Clark event.
Joi Cuartero, executive director of Batavia MainStreet, has much admiration for Saam’s numerous community involvements that have made her a memorable figure.
“She is an advocate of downtown Batavia and spreads the love,” Cuartero says.
Juggling her time between her family, community work, the restaurant and the first months of a new business eventually led Saam to say goodbye to her restaurant career, although she says she plans to go back into the business at some point.
Developing relationships within the community is something Saam continues to strive for, and values.
“I’ve held many jobs in different areas, but one thing remains consistent in all of them — people,” Saam says. “People make the world go-round.”
A year and a half ago, when Saam’s husband — who has worked as a plumber for 17 years — faced a slow-moving economy, the couple decided it was time to take things into their own hands and start a business. Utilizing Saam’s expert skills within the community, Bulldog Plumbing continues to be a success.
“Owning a business in this community allows Doug and I to interact with a ton of other business owners and organization executives through chamber, Fox Valley Young Professional and MainStreet events,” Saam says, noting that interaction has helped on multiple fronts. “These people have become great friends as well as business associates.”
While she wasn’t able to capture the title as alderman of Batavia’s Fourth Ward two years ago, Saam hasn’t let her defeat keep her from striving to represent her hometown in the future.
“I saw it as a chance for a young, energetic and involved caring person to step up and light a fire under other youth to get involved in their community …” she says of the last election. “I may not have won the seat two years ago, but that does not mean my thirst for involvement has been quenched.”
