History Made: First Female Speaker of Will County Board Elected

On Monday, history was made when long-serving Will County Board member Denise Winfrey (D-Joliet) was sworn in as the first-ever female Speaker of the Will County Board. In this top role, Winfrey will serve as the chief constitutional officer of the 26-member board, with Mark Perry (D-Plainfield) assisting as majority leader.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to assume the Speakership of this great institution, and I pledge to work in the best interests of the 700,000 people who call Will County home,” Winfrey said. “Ours is a thriving, vibrant and growing county that holds much untapped potential for strong economic growth, and I aim to direct that growth toward a higher standard of living and a better quality of life for our citizens.”

Winfrey, a longtime Joliet resident, was first elected to the county board in 2009. In addition to this role, she has held several other leadership positions. Winfrey is currently the vice-chair of the Large Urban Counties Caucus, vice-chair of the Community Economic Workforce Development Steering Committee, a member of the Membership Committee, as well as a membership ambassador.

While serving as Chair of the Capital Improvements Committee, Winfrey worked with the city of Joliet and Will County on the new courthouse being constructed in her district. In addition to the courthouse, Winfrey looks forward to the new health department that will be built in the new few years. She anticipates the new facility bringing more value to Joliet residents.

Winfrey received her undergraduate degree from Lewis University and a master of science at American University in Washington, D.C. She also conducted her post graduate work at Gestalt Institute of Cleveland at Case Western Reserve.

Along with Winfrey’s swearing-in ceremony, several other changes took place on Monday. Mike Fricilone (R-Homer Glen) was also selected by the Republicans to lead the minority caucus.

Six newly elected board members were also sworn into office including: Julie Berkowicz of Naperville, Mimi Cowan of Naperville, Amanda Koch of Frankfort, Meta Mueller of Aurora, Joe Van Duyne of Wilmington, and Rachel Ventura of Joliet.

Images via Mack Communications