Lori Wilcox is a community outreach and collaboration guru. In 2011 she became the first elected city clerk of the City of Chicago Heights. She is currently President of the Rotary Club of Chicago Heights, President of the Chicago Heights Free Public Library Board, Chair of the Rotary District 6450 Mentor/Tutor Subcommittee and is on the Board Nominating Committee. She is also a member of the South Suburban Family Wellness Alliance Coalition, an active member of the International Association of Municipal Clerks (Education Committee), Municipal Clerks of Illinois (Education and Mentor Committee), South and Southwest Suburban Clerk’s Association (Bylaws Committee), PFAW-Young Elected Officials Network, CMAP-Steering Committee for Chicago Heights and a board member of the Childcare Resource and Referral Services.

As a community engager of organizations, she has coordinated multiple programs through various partnerships to engage residents. She created and hosted an annual South and Southwest Suburban Municipal Clerk’s Association Spring into Action Education Summit 2012, 2013 and 2014 for over 50+ local municipal clerks and staff. Lori was nominated and selected by the Municipal Clerks of Illinois as the “Rookie of the Year” for 2014. She is also a 2015 Fellow for the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership. She is a 12-year combat war veteran of the United States Army Reserves with tours in Bosnia, Korea, Germany and Japan; she is actively involved in the VFW.

She is one of a small number of African American females working with young males. During the summer of 2012, 2013 and 2014 she mentored more than 125 youth through collaborations with Rotary District 6450 and UCAN’s Youth Employment Program. She actively partners with the local elementary and high schools for the annual City Sticker Design contest, MLK Essay contest, ISAT Test Prep Kits (provided to over 1500 students throughout the community) and is an advocate for community outreach, collaborations, schools and libraries. Lori received a Bachelor of Arts in Individual Studies from Western Illinois University, a Post-Bachelors Paralegal Studies Certificate from Roosevelt University-Chicago and a Master of Education in Technology Integration from American InterContinental University; she is a Registered and Certified Municipal Clerk and is pursuing an Ed.D. in Leadership.

She is mostly proud of her ability to delicately balance her duties as a single mother of three school aged children while serving the public.