By Briyana Kelly

Acting as a Press Member for Community Relations

For March 3, 2018, Thornton Township celebrated women with honor and has been doing it for 10 years now. Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli spoke of the women saying “Chip in to make the guys look good. Thank You!”, after the warm welcome by Trustee Joyce Washington at St. Archangel Michael.

The Honorees:

Sallie Penman

• From Education to Politics
• Village Clerk and has been a resident of South Holland for 30 years.
• Appointed to South Holland Village in October 2004, elected in 2005, and re-elected in 2009, 2013, and 2017.
• Director of the Administrators’ Academy in Chicago, IL where she provides Leadership to 1600 administrators of Chicago Public Schools
• Mother is her inspiration and biggest cheerleader

“As an Educator, I’m inspired by our children. We can’t just complain about things, you have to be the change that you seek.”

 

Rose McGill

• Wife to Michael McGill of The Dells
• Very well loved by the constituents
• Couldn’t make it due to illness and difficulty getting around, currently in rehabilitation.
• Rose McGill has been a community activist and leader in the South Suburbs of Chicago since the late 60s
• In 1969, she founded Rose’s House of Charm to help area youth improve their self-esteem and break into acting and modeling.
• She has been instrumental in helping young people from our community featured in radio and television commercials, magazines, TV sitcoms and movies.
  • Her students have gone on to have successful careers in fields as diverse as academia, finance, medicine, law, fashion design, and business.
• Janet Rogers, Public Relations Coordinator of South Cook County Mosquito Abatement District, accepted the award on behalf of the family

Janet had this to say about Rose, “Rose was a very energetic, outstanding, outgoing person, and community minded person”

 

Joyce Forbes

• Married for 51 years to Steve Forbes
• Lifelong resident of Dolton and Riverdale until 2008
• Public Service began in 1983 starting School District 148 School Board, served 9 years as am member and president.
• Brought technology into the Village during Y2K
• Achieved certification as Master Municipal Clerk

She values “Trustworthiness, honesty, being a good friend. And respecting and being respectful of others. And knowing that everyone is not going to agree with your opinion and but being accommodating. “

 

Vivian Payne

• Born and raised in Thornton, 24-year resident of Lansing.
• Prior to being elected Clerk, she was the Executive Assistant to Lansing Mayor Norm Abbott for 8 years and took on the roles of Deputy Clerk, Freedom of Information Officer, Traffic Compliance Administrator and Zoning Board Secretary.
• In 2010, Vivian initiated Lansing’s first annual Community Clean-Up Day
  • which brings together hundreds of volunteers each spring to pick up trash throughout the Village.
• In 2016, in conjunction with Community Clean-Up Day, Payne organized Lansing’s first electronic recycling event for residents, where the Village collected on record 642 televisions in under 3 hours.
• Vivian is a member of the Lansing Business Women’s Association, an organization that brings together business women.
  • She provides them with professional development opportunities to enrich themselves and others through leadership, education and networking.

“I love helping people that need help.”