Many years ago, I was the Operations Manager at the Gorton Community Center in Lake Forest, where a number of Lake County nonprofits have their offices. Through the relationships developed there, I was hired as the Executive Director of the United Way of the North Shore. My next role as the Executive Director of Mothers Trust Foundation enabled me to build relationships county-wide with nonprofits and school districts, and led to my current role as ED for the Gorter Family Foundation. This was a path I never imagined, but once involved, I was hooked!
What gets you most excited about what's happening right now in Lake County?
The county has changed dramatically in the past 10 years. We were once very siloed in all sectors; however, leadership changes and resource development have led to enhanced networking, communication, collaboration, and cooperation throughout the county. We are sharing our visions for the future, pooling our resources, discussing our challenges, and planning together ways in which to better the living experiences of all of Lake County’s residents. We are a large county and yet we’re small, in that we know one another and choose to work together to create positive change. Learn about how the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy brought together local leaders to create a vision for inclusive growth here.
What are the biggest opportunity areas for community investment?
Through our own learning experiences, we are now aware that the birth to five years are literally the building blocks of our future. Overwhelming evidence shows that children who enter kindergarten behind are likely to remain behind throughout their educational careers and beyond. These gaps in achievement are difficult and expensive to close with K-12 education alone, and they can last a lifetime.
A Lake County early childhood system assessment was conducted in 2022, highlighting our county’s resources and gaps. Lake County is overwhelmingly short when it comes to the availability of early childhood education resources due to teacher shortages, high costs of care and education, and actual places and spaces for children to learn. Not only do these gaps affect a child’s kindergarten preparation, but they also have a negative impact on the county’s workforce as so many parents make the choice to stay home with their children because childcare costs exceed their potential income.
What has the biggest potential to create economic opportunity in Lake County?
Sector collaboration in the area of post-secondary college and career choices. The knowledge of job opportunities combined with college and career pathway endorsements has enormous potential to both retain and recruit businesses due to a highly planned and choreographed workforce. Through our uniquely positioned assets of the Lake County High Schools Tech Campus, the College of Lake County, Lake Forest College, the University Center, and Rosalind Franklin University, we have local opportunities to guide our students to and through a process to both create great jobs and living wages and staff our county’s businesses with our local talent. Learn more about how local educators are priming high school talent here.
How has LCP impacted what you do?
LCP has unlocked the essential doors to insight and communication between education and workforce development. The organization has the ability to bring Lake County companies to the table with other-sector partners to learn, collaborate and inspire action. Without this distinct skill, none of our exciting opportunities would be possible.
