Women in Leadership - November Voice 2022

Women in leadership

Paying it forward to the next generation

By Andrew Wright Director of Strategic Initiatives, Rockford Chamber of Commerce

Women have made lasting and significant professional contributions to our city, from the women who worked in the manufacturing shops of the 1940s during World War II to the boardrooms of many of today’s largest professional institutions. And we can’t forget the history-making Rockford Peaches.

“I can say right now that I feel like there’s been an emergence of women leaders in our community,” said Martesha Brown, Northwest Illinois regional community development relationship manager for Midland States Bank in Rockford and a commissioner for the Rockford Park District. “We’re doing the work behind the scenes to make sure we’ve earned a seat at the table.”

A graduate of Auburn High School, Brown returned to Rockford after getting her bachelor’s at Southern Illinois University in mass communication. She pursued her MBA at Rockford University while working for the Rockford Park District.

Brown says she was fortunate to have several women in her life who set an example for her.

“My mom is one of my best mentors. She brought me up to be bold and confident and to be able to overcome barriers, whether it’s being a woman or minority in the community,” she said. “What she taught me growing up was essential to me in my grown life.”

“There are two other women that I think about that, as a young girl, inspires and embodies what you want to be. Mrs. Dimke was the principle at Macintosh Elementary School and I remember seeing her dressing professionally, carrying a briefcase, and I remember thinking that I wanted to be like her,” Brown continued. “And Mrs. Sams, my fourth grade teacher, was so caring, knowledgeable and beautiful. She carried herself with so much class, and that’s something that stuck with me my whole life. She’s now a retired entrepreneur, and I often think to myself, ‘Is this how Mrs. Sams would handle the situation?’ She’s that example for me.”

Brown’s work at Midland States Bank puts her in a position to mentor the next generation, to pursue inclusion and seek out excellence among others making their way through the bank hierarchy.

“There’s something special about empowering one another and being a part of a group with this level of support,” she said.

Danielle DeDario, business banking relationship manager for US Bank also views her position as one of empowerment for local businesses.

“I love helping businesses become more effective with their money, increase their cash flow and become sustainable,” DeDario explains. “By helping businesses grow, I am opening doors. That becomes impactful for the community.”

DeDario has worked in banking for 20 years and manages teams in multiple locations throughout Northern Illinois. She is passionate about developing her team and encourages young women to pursue careers in finance.

“Prior to banking, I was an insurance rep. My mother and sister were both in banking, but I was resistant, she said. “One day, my friend Heather said ‘You gotta come work here, you should be a manager.’”

DeDario says most young people aren’t aware of the number of opportunities in the banking industry, including IT, HR, marketing, mergers and acquisitions, trusts, and operations.

“What I love most about banking is that you never know when or who you can help. Bankers experience what it’s like to change someone’s life,” she said.

Much like Brown and DeDario, Maryjo Pirages Reynolds did not start out on the path of her profession right away.

“I wanted to be a pediatrician growing up, but in high school I discovered that math and science weren’t my strengths but reading and writing were,” said Reynolds.

After working in her father’s law office as a receptionist, she developed an interest in the legal system. “I had the opportunity to shadow Judge Mary Linn Green, who was a nurse before she went to law school, and it was exciting to see her in action. She got to learn about science through a different lens, as it pertained to her case. She was learning about an injury and a patient’s experience and understanding the difference between what happened and what should have happened.”

Reynolds is now a partner Allen Galluzzo Hevrin Leake, LLC, specializing in labor and employment law.

She believes her role as a lawyer enables her to serve the Rockford community. “I think lawyers are very fortunate because people look to them to be pillars in the community, to assume leadership roles, and work for the greater good.”

This is true of her mentors—her father, attorney Jim Pirages, and attorney Bobbie Holzwarth. “I saw people like my dad serving as the president of the board of directors of both the Chamber of Commerce and the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois and Bobbie serving as the president of Transform Rockford and the RACVB [Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau]. And that was attractive to me. That’s what I aspire to be.”

Reynolds also sees a shifting tide in women in legal roles. “Presently, women are still in the minority among lawyers, but that’s changing. There are more women going to law school than men, and that’s going to change the composition of law firms.”

Reynolds believes women play a unique role in how law is practiced. “I think in terms of conflict resolution, women approach that differently. The law requires empathy and compassion, and women are stereotypically more at ease with those concepts.”

In offering advice to the next generation of lawyers, Reynolds suggests, “Be yourself. You don’t have to change to be successful, play to your strengths.”

“In Rockford, the law is a welcoming place for women. I’m thankful and proud of women in our profession who really support one another,” she said.