House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (Savanna) and members of the Illinois House Republican Caucus hosted 50 women leaders from across the state on Tuesday to recognize the difference they are making in communities throughout Illinois in their chosen fields of education, business, social services, health care, volunteerism and a wide range of other areas.
The event included brunch featuring a keynote address by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White; a Listening Session with Leader McCombie including special guest Illinois Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton; recognition during session of the House of Representatives from the Speaker’s Gallery; and a tour of the Illinois Capitol with the Architect of the Capitol Andrea Aggertt.
“We were privileged to host an extraordinary group of women from every corner of Illinois who are truly making a positive impact in their communities,” said Leader McCombie. “I would like to thank each of them for sharing their stories with us and for their dedication toward improving the quality of life for women and families in this state we are proud to call home.”
House Republican legislators from throughout Illinois invited guests from their districts to participate in the Emerging Women Leaders Recognition Event on Tuesday, linking together the broad expanse of industries and diverse individual experiences found within the State of Illinois.
Leader McCombie and the House Republican Caucus plan to make the Emerging Women Leaders Recognition an annual event, building on the success of the first such event hosted in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the recognition to be postponed from 2020-2022.