“You do not have to choose between being a mother or having a career — you can do it all.”
That was the advice Illinois state Rep. Nicole La Ha shared during a conversation about women, leadership and community service at Palos Park’s second annual Women Making a Difference event Oct. 12.
Hosted by Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters, the event drew a strong turnout of women and men from the community, along with local leaders who gathered at Moraine Valley Community College to hear from women whose careers and personal experiences have shaped their commitment to serving others.
Among those attending were Beth McElroy Kirkwood, commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago; state Rep. Rick Ryan; and Moraine Valley Community College President Pamela J. Haney.
The event, “Women Making a Difference: The Power of Service in Your Community,” featured keynote speaker Mariyana Spyropoulos, clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, who joined La Ha, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Bernadette Barrett and Mona Purdy, founder of Share Your Soles, for a discussion about representation, the challenges women face and the importance of supporting one another.
Spyropoulos, who grew up on Chicago’s South Side as the daughter of immigrants, has built a career in public service. Before becoming clerk in December 2024, she served as an assistant state’s attorney in Cook County and spent 14 years on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago board, including four years as its president. Her work has included efforts to improve government transparency, modernize public services and expand access to the justice system.
“There are so many incredible, talented, resilient women within our community,” Spyropoulos said.
She emphasized the importance of seeing women in leadership roles and described the strength that comes from combining compassion with determination.
“The power of women to lead with compassion while being strong,” she said. “Every girl deserves to see what is possible.”
Spyropoulos said she was excited about the next generation of women and underscored the importance of representation in helping young girls envision their own futures.
Milovich-Walters shared a similar message, saying one of her goals in organizing the event was to encourage women of all ages to become more involved in their communities.
“We need to encourage the younger generations of women and all women to become more involved in their communities,” the mayor said.
La Ha, who represents Illinois’ 82nd House District, brought a personal perspective to the discussion. Before joining the General Assembly in 2023, she served as a Homer Glen trustee and helped establish the village’s Ability Awareness Committee. Her public service has included advocacy for individuals with disabilities and efforts to make community spaces more inclusive and accessible.
La Ha said becoming a mother changed the way she viewed community involvement and prompted her to become more actively engaged.
“There is a constant cloud of mom guilt looming over us, but the best thing we can do is branch out for our children,” she said.
She encouraged women to pursue their professional ambitions without feeling they must choose between their careers and their families.
La Ha also spoke about the importance of recognizing the work women do, much of which can go unacknowledged.
“As women, we do not hear that we are making a difference as much as I think we should,” she said.
Barrett, a Cook County Circuit Court judge, offered her own perspective on leadership and service. A longtime South Side suburban resident, she previously served as president of the Southwest Bar Association, provided pro bono legal assistance to domestic abuse victims and served on Moraine Valley Community College’s Board of Trustees. Her background in law and community service has been central to her work both inside and outside the courtroom.
Barrett shared that she was one of 10 children and encouraged people to ask young people not only what they want to be when they grow up, but also what they can do to help others.
She said those questions could encourage the next generation to think beyond personal ambitions and consider how they might contribute to their communities.
Rose Schmidt also joined the conversation, raising the importance of women supporting one another and helping open doors to new opportunities. Whether through mentorship, encouragement or making professional connections, women can play an important role in helping others advance.
Purdy offered a different example of how one person’s experience can lead to a lasting commitment to service.
In 1999, while participating in a half-marathon in Guatemala, Purdy noticed children who had no shoes and were using hot tar to protect the soles of their feet. The experience stayed with her after she returned to the Chicago area, prompting her to begin collecting shoes from local families and arranging shipments to children in need. That effort grew into Share Your Soles, a nonprofit organization that has collected and distributed millions of pairs of shoes to people in underserved communities around the world.
Purdy encouraged attendees to find ways to become more active in their communities through volunteer work, reminding them that even seemingly small acts of generosity can make a meaningful difference.
Spyropoulos echoed that message, encouraging people to move beyond simply recognizing community needs and take steps to address them.
A new mini-symposium immediately followed the panel discussion, allowing attendees to connect with local organizations, learn about volunteer opportunities and explore causes they might want to support.
The event reflected Milovich-Walters’ goal of making public service more accessible and showing women, particularly younger generations, that leadership can take many forms.
From raising a family and building a career to serving in government, advocating for others or organizing a community initiative, the panelists demonstrated that making a difference does not require following a single path.
Their message was that women can help one another succeed, inspire the next generation and strengthen their communities, often by starting with one simple step: getting involved.
