For 20 years, Shelley Peck has been sharing news of Homewood School District 153 and Willow, Churchill and James Hart schools. Now she’s retiring from her job as director of communications.

The simple definition of Peck’s job is she writes press releases, prepares videos and handles social media accounts. But over 20 years time she’s been a recorder of district history and the staff administrator who took on duties for Foundation 153 helping put together major fundraisers, including the annual Fund Run and Zombie Run, as well as running the camera that brings the school board meetings to viewers every month.

She saw her work as “building up a reservoir of good will for the district. You have to plug away telling stories about our kids and our schools.”

That good will benefited the district when the school board came to voters asking for support for three referenda, when the community came together for fundraisers, and after the district switched from neighborhood schools to grade centers.

Peck found that writing about Homewood schools proved to be easy because of the “true love of the community” for its schools.

Looking back, Peck said she’ll retire with fond memories.

“I think my best day was when all the kids, from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade, were out to see the eclipse. It was the one time they were all doing the same thing at the same time. That was just a magical day,” she said.