When Community Becomes a Calling: Andy Hartlieb’s Decades with Gavers
Plenty of people say yes to a good cause.
Fewer say yes for decades.
Andy Hartlieb has done both. A longtime board member of Gavers Community Cancer Foundation and CEO of American Community Bank & Trust, Andy has been part of Gavers from the beginning, helping build a cancer foundation rooted in friendship, service, and the strength of a close-knit community.
“Steve Gavers and I grew up in Woodstock together,” Andy said. “I’ve known him my whole life. When he asked me to help with a cancer fundraiser, I didn’t tell him I’d think about it. I was in.”
That simple yes turned into a commitment that has continued from the earliest days of the foundation to the ongoing work today: raising cancer awareness, encouraging early detection, supporting local patients and families, and funding cancer research.
A Friendship Rooted in a Small Community
Andy remembers watching Steve endure surgeries, treatment, and the long emotional road that followed his cancer diagnosis.
Then came the idea. A simple barndance that would raise some money to help others.
From the beginning, this wasn’t just another nonprofit board or another community event. It was friends helping friends, neighbors responding to a need, and the people of Woodstock deciding that the fight against cancer deserved the full strength of the community.
Board Longevity Built on Trust, Teamwork, and Purpose
Gavers Community Cancer Foundation launched over 25 years ago with about a dozen board members. Many still serve today. That kind of longevity is rare. It also doesn’t happen by accident.
“The secret to the longevity for Steve and the board is that, since the beginning, it has always been about the team,” Andy said. “There’s no taking credit, no me-versus-you. It’s about communicating, working together, and keeping everybody’s eye on the prize.”
Many board members have served for 15 years or more. Some have faced cancer personally. Others have lost loved ones or fellow board members to the disease. That shared experience has deepened the work and made the mission even more meaningful.
A Community Foundation with a Clear Local Impact
In the early days, cancer detection in McHenry County lagged behind other parts of Illinois. The mission and message became clear: get checked. Early detection could change outcomes, and Gavers could help make that message impossible to ignore.
“It’s nice to have a fundraiser with friends,” Andy said, “but there was a serious need here. As donors and sponsors, we wanted to make an impact.”
And that’s just what they’ve done. Gavers touches people’s lives in real and personal ways, funding everything from local care, cancer screenings, and patient support to survivor services and research partnerships.
Northwestern Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Family Health Partnership Clinic, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and the Testicular Cancer Foundation have all benefited from this small community’s generosity.
A Heart for Service
Andy’s professional life and volunteer service share a common thread. As CEO of American Community Bank & Trust, he helps lead an independent community bank focused on serving privately held and family-owned businesses.
“At the bank, we say that to be a good fit here, you have to have a heart for service,” Andy said. “Serving others is all we do. Gavers is very similar.”
That service mindset shows up everywhere in Gavers’ culture. Board members don’t just attend meetings. They work. They volunteer. They buy their own tickets. They invite sponsors. They show up for the event and for the mission behind the fun.
Why Andy Still Says Yes
Cancer can leave people feeling isolated, overwhelmed, and unsure of what comes next.
Gavers answers with community.
For Andy Hartlieb, being part of that work has been more rewarding than he ever expected.
“Every board member has gotten a lot more out of their association with Gavers than they have put in,” he said.
And in a community built on strong relationships, that may be the greatest success measure of all.