Schaumburg Resident Named a Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues Unsung Heroine

In honor of Women’s History Month, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle joined the Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues in honoring 17 women for their contributions to their communities. Vice President of Human Resources at Northwest Community Healthcare (NCH) and Schaumburg resident, Dominice LaPorte is a proud honoree representing the 15th District.

“We are pleased to recognize and acknowledge this year’s Unsung Heroines,” said President Preckwinkle. “Their strength, resilience and sacrifice to better their communities inspire us all. Cook County is a better place because of their work, and we are proud to call them residents in the county we all call home.”
LaPorte has a passion for advocating for mental health – whether as a volunteer, as a leader at NCH, or as a board member of the Kenneth Young Center (KYC), a not-for-profit that provides mental health services, youth empowerment programs and care for older adults. When she began as KYC board of directors’ chair, she was the only female member. At the completion of her two-year term as chair, she had recruited four women to the board. She mentors young adults, women, minorities and people with mental illnesses. She also serves on the Roosevelt University Workforce Advisory Board, was elected president of the local PTA and was a Scout Leader.

During her more than 25 years in human resources, she’s created a sense of community and belonging, encouraging employees to connect to their purpose and each other. LaPorte’s priority today is to support 4000 employees and frontline caregivers through the pandemic with empathy, providing well-being resources to protect their mental health. She believes building a resilient and connected community means speaking up and making a difference for the most vulnerable.

“Honoring Dominice acknowledges what many of us already knew about her,” said NCH President and CEO Steve Scogna. “She leads with compassion and is a positive influence on all who interact with her – personally, professionally and through her volunteer work. President Preckwinkle and the Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues has made a wonderful choice by selecting her to represent our District this year.”

For 25 years, the Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroine Award is presented to one woman from each of the County’s legislative districts and one from the County at-large. Commissioners from the Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues receive input from the individual districts to identify heroines whose work is significant in Cook County communities yet seldom recognized.

“The Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues mission is to elevate the status of women and girls across Cook County,” said Audra Wilson, Chairperson of the Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues. “Today, on the 25th anniversary of the Unsung Heroine Awards, we celebrate that mission and the women who embody these values we hold so dear.”