Meredith MacKay - ROCKFORD SPIRIT AWARD

Positivity is something that Meredith MacKay has in abundance.

Leadership is in her lineage. She learned a lot about building connections from her father, former Winnebago County Board Member Pete MacKay. And she previously worked at Wesley Willows, where she got to know some of Rockford’s most influential leaders.

“We had a ‘Breakfast with Titans’ at Willows, where workers would frequently network with local icons like Jack Packard [former chair and CEO of Elco Industries, and vice chair of Alpine Bank]. They reminded me always that Rockford is worth investing in,” she said.

MacKay applies those lessons to her current role as director of the Crusader Community Health Foundation, supporting Crusader Community Health through fundraising, event management and collaborating with board members.

“Crusader makes Rockford better every day. We serve the medically underserved, but we’re also here for everyone,” she said. “Crusader represents a microcosm of who we are as a community… Crusader is a sterling example of what it means to serve. That’s a mission that’s impossible not to love.”

MacKay uses her connections to help others.

“Meredith is always aware of the introductions that could be helpful individually or for other organizations. She’s a connector by nature and always has the Rockford community’s best interest in mind,” said Miranda Swanson, VP of marketing and fund development at Remedies Renewing Lives.

When she’s not working at Crusader, MacKay volunteers for organizations such as the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois and the YWCA.