About the award
As an annual event in observance of Women’s History Month, Cook County presents the Unsung Heroine Award to 18 women, one from each district of Cook County and one county-wide, whose contributions to their communities, families and professional endeavors have been so vital, but seldom recognized. This award, consistent with the purpose of Women's History Month, is designed to recover and tell the story of the powerful impact women have had throughout history on the development of our social, cultural, economic and political institutions. In this spirit, the County honors these remarkable women as a way to bring their stories to light, to thank them and to celebrate the achievements of the many women through the history of Cook County whom they represent.
About the award name
Peggy A. Montes served as Chairperson of the Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues. An educator, fundraiser, leader, and champion of women’s issues and rights, Montes was the driving force behind the very first Unsung Heroine Award for the women of Cook County. On March 16, 2010, the Cook County Board of Commissioners and members of the Commission on Women’s Issues renamed the award in Montes’s honor as a way of recognizing her remarkable achievements on behalf of women and girls.
2021 Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroines of Cook County
Debra Vines, 1st District
Sheila Jackson McNary, 2nd District
Barbara Ellzey, 3rd District
Linda Blair, 4th District
Vanessa Brown, 5th District
Jacquelyne Underwood, 6th District
Nury Ortega, 7th District
Diana Mireles, 8th District
Mary Lio, 9th District
Killian C. Walsh, 10th District
Sarah Dynia, 11th District
Marci Sieracki, 12th District
Jane Balaban, 13th District
Amy Oberholtzer, 14th District
Mary Jo Imperato, 15th District
Elva Serna, 16th District
Josephine Coleman, 17th District
2020 Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroines of Cook County
Phyllis M. Logan, 1st District
Dr. Carrol Collum, 2nd District
La Shawn Stanton, 3rd District
Lanette Warbington, 4th District
Lorena Varela, 5th District
Mia Carter, 6th District
Sandra Mendez, 7th District
Janece Ortiz, 8th District
Dr. Carolyn V. Kirschner, 9th District
Colleen Martin, 10th District
Gerri Neylon, 11th District
Carolina Brueck, 12th District
Kathy Tate-Bradish, 13th District
Agnes I. Wojnarski,M.D., 14th District
Sherrine Peyton, 15th District
Nadine Boyle, 16th District
Nancy Mott, 17th District
2019 Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroines of Cook County
Bobbie Jean Ward, 1st District
Anne Gordon, 2nd District
Erin Toole Williams, 3rd District
Julia A. Hunter, 4th District
Lori J. Wilcox, 5th District
Dannen Rose, 6th District
Ilda Hernandez, 7th District
Ashley Novoa, 8th District
Dorothy Malachowski, 9th District
Joyce Dugan, 10th District
Amy McNicholas, 11th District
Janet Giangrasse, 12th District
Karen Chavers, 13th District
Stephanie Zwilling, 14th District
Joane McLeod, 15th District
Judith De La Mora-Macias, 16th District
2018 Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroines of Cook County
Charmaine V. Rickette, 1st District
Clemente "Tina" Hardaway, 2nd District
Robin Pratts, 3rd District
Nyota T. Figgs, 4th District
Kelley D. Nichols-Brown, 5th District
Karen O'Dea, 6th District
Maria R. Raygoza, 7th District
Kate Maehr, 8th District
Kara Blomquist, 9th District
Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, 10th District
Modie Lavin, 11th District
Linda P. Mellis, 12th District
Emily Williams Guthrie, 13th District
Peggy Babcock, 14th District
LaTasha Unseld, 15th District
ShaunTe Raines, 16th District
2017 Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroines of Cook County
Savonya L. Rogers, 1st District
Gretchen Slusser, 2nd District
Vanessa L. McNorton, 3rd District
Angela Hurlock, 4th District
Tina Sanders, 5th District
Stella Hernandez, 6th District
Idalia Flores Guzmán, 7th District
Carmen Medina, 8th District
Mary Ann Miller, 9th District
Patrice Quehl, 10th District
Pamela Munizzi, 11th District
Cari A. Meyers, 12th District
Josefina Alvarez, 13th District
Mary Beth Beiersdorf, 14th District
Laurie Stone, 15th District
Kathy Donahue-Coia, 16th District
Rebecca Lerfelt, 17th District
2016 Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroines of Cook County
Annie Marie Ford, 1st District
Fran Bell, 2nd District
Paula Anglin, 3rd District
Christel D. Ward, 4th District
Lorez Davis, 5th District
Maurice Fitts Page, 6th District
Linda Coronado, 7th District
Beti Guevara, 8th District
Maureen Perez, 9th District
Jackie Taylor, 10th District
Rita Ryan, 11th District
Alexis Mansfield, 12th District
Gloria Iverson, 13th District
Henrietta Saunders, 14th District
Victoria Poklop, 15th District
Elizabeth Cabral-Arreola, 16th District
Maureen Reilly, 17th District
2015 Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroines of Cook County
Aisha Chaudry, At-large
Cherita Logan, 1st District
Apostle Carolyn Vessel, 2nd District
Cassandra Melton, 3rd District
Rev. Lillie M. Cullar, 4th District
Angelia Smith, 5th District
Jean Bernstein, 6th District
Gina Gamboa Pacheco, 7th District
Laurie Jo Reynolds, 8th District
Kristy Capoccia-Caeti, 9th District
Mary Zeien, 10th District
Kerry Lynch, 11th District
Beth Valukas, 12th District
Lydia Vivas, 13th District
Pat Peterson, 14th District
VersAnnette Blackman, 15th District
Carrie Zalewski, 16th District
Cynthia Frymark, 17th District
2014 Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroines of Cook County
Annamaria Joyce V. Leon, At-large
Dawn Ferencak, 1st District
Elizabeth Okey, 2nd District
Felicia Stanton, 3rd District
Katherine Wallace, 4th District
Jamell Meeks, 5th District
Beverly Beaty, 6th District
Dolores Castañeda, 7th District
Maria Teresa Roman, 8th District
Teresa Giannini, 9th District
Amanda Malsch, 10th District
Maureen Shields, 11th District
Elizabeth Mills, 12th District
Tricia Edwards, 13th District
Courtney Renwick, 14th District
Michelle Pilafas, 15th District
Tracey Rouso, 16th District
Terri O'Neill Borders, 17th District
Peggy Montes Unsung Heroine Award Resolution (153.51 KB) Unsung Heroines 2000-2012 (69.16 KB)