Scott Halpin and the Sandeno Family were inducted into the GSW Hall of Fame on Friday, January 16 at a ceremony between the JV and Varsity games against Donovan. Their acceptance biographies are below.
Congratulations!
Halpin Biography
Scott Halpin is the owner and operator of Halpin Farms and Halpin Farms Cattle in conjunction with his parents and brother. The family farm specializes in a row-crop, corn, and soybean rotation and produces alfalfa hay, silage, and an angus cow-calf herd. One would probably recognize Scott from the many dairy tours held on the family farm in Gardner of Grundy County. For many years, the tours were the grand finale to the Ag in the Classroom program. Every fall beginning in eighth grade thru 2018, Scott shared his knowledge and hands on experience of agriculture with approximately 700 students. During this time, children would get to watch him milk a cow, followed by the experience of feeling the suction of the milker, before going to other stations including the beloved calf station, ice cream and butter making. Others may know Scott from being on the baseball field. Every spring and summer from the time his sons were in first thru eighth grade, Scott would help coach boys from the Gardner, South Wilmington and Braceville area, many days going from one field to the other. Besides his community involvement, Halpin adapted conservation management practices on the farm to support cleaner air and water in rural Illinois. As a member of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program Class of 2020, Halpin traveled to Kenya and Israel to learn first-hand about international trade issues. He made similar agricultural market study tours to Vietnam with the Illinois Farm Bureau and to Germany with the German American Chamber of Commerce. In 2018, Halpin served as a member of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Ag Transition Team and in 2011 was appointed to the Governor’s Local Food and Farms Job Council. His leadership roles include being elected Director for district 5 of the Illinois Farm Bureau family of companies, Director for Country Financial Insurance, Country Trust Bank Board ,serving as President of Kendall/Grundy Farm Bureau, President and VP of Grundy County Soil and Water Conservation Board, Food for Thought Regional Advertising Committee, Illinois Milk Producers Association, Illinois Beef Association, and the Illinois Corn Growers Association. Prior to his United States Department of agriculture Farm Service agency appointment from President Biden, Halpin served on numerous Farm Bureau committees for budget, grants, and governance. Currently Scott serves as Bureau Chief of County Fairs and Horse racing for the Illinois Department of Agriculture providing oversight and funding for county fairs as well as the Horse racing industry in Illinois. Halpin is a graduate of Joliet Junior College. He lives in South Wilmington with his wife Sarah and their three adult children. Sarah & Scott enjoyed attending all their children’s volleyball, baseball and basketball games. Other activities include livestock showing cattle and hogs as well as boating, barbequing, and raising honeybee hives.
Whether in Springfield, Washington D.C. or traveling around the world Halpin has always had the opportunity to advocate for Rural Illinois towns and has always been proud to call the Gardner-South Wilmington-Braceville community HOME. Once a Panther always a Panther!
Sandeno Biography
We were raised right here in this community by our parents, Ken and Diane (Lardi) Sandeno, who taught us the values of hard work, responsibility, and giving back. As two brothers and one sister, family has always been at the center of everything we do, and the lessons learned at home continue to guide us today.
Generations of our family proudly attended and graduated from Gardner High School. Our years there helped shape who we are—not only academically, but personally. The teachers, coaches, and mentors we encountered encouraged us to work hard, support one another, and take pride in our community. Those lessons have stayed with us long after graduation.
Our dad started a small construction company, and the three of us spent our lives helping grow his idea into a locally owned heavy construction business, now recognized as a leader in the industry. What began as a shared vision became a lasting enterprise through teamwork, perseverance, and a commitment to doing things the right way. We are grateful for the support of a community that believed in us from the very beginning.
Even as our business has grown, our connection to this area has never changed. We remain committed to supporting the nearby communities that supported us—through local partnerships, community involvement, and ongoing efforts to give back. We believe success carries a responsibility to invest in others and help strengthen the places we call home.
Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is truly humbling. We share this honor with all those who have received this recognition before us. This distinction represents not only our accomplishments, but also the many people who helped us along the way—our family, educators, mentors, employees, and community members. The employees from our area have become part of our extended family, and we are deeply grateful for each of them. We are proud to be alumni of Gardner High School and appreciative of the strong foundation it provided.
