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For 32+ years, Alexandra has been performing community outreach and education for very low-income Latine immigrants. She has a long history of public service dating back to her work with coffee plantation workers in Colombia, where she also worked for nearly a decade with the Attorney General’s Office. She has educated low-income workers on their rights in the United States, Spain, and Colombia. While in Spain, Alexandra helped citizens of Mexico navigate through the Spanish legal system via the Mexican Embassy.

Ms. Sossa graduated from the University of Medellin School of Law, Colombia and is certificated as a bilingual Mediator at the Center for Conflict Resolution in Chicago, Illinois. She is alumni of the Center for Leadership Innovation and holds a Non-Profit Management certification from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In March of 2019, she was awarded the Foundation Award from the Illinois Human Rights Commission -IHRC-, to honor her commitment in promoting and cultivating women’s rights, freedom, and achievement in Illinois. In 2020 Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health publicly recognized her as Illinois COVID-19 Ambassadors for her efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by promoting and sharing critical information and resources thereby keeping communications across Illinois safe during these challenging times. In early September 2021, FLAP awarded Ms. Sossa its highest honor, the Beckman Farmworker Advocated of the year, for her more than two decades of leadership at FLAP.

What makes Alexandra remarkable and, perhaps, unique in the non-profit world, is that she works on a personal basis with all those involved with FLAP. She first came to the organization in summer 2001 and since then, Alexandra has played an instrumental role in the success of the non-profit’s continued growth.

Meyer has worked at the Alzheimer’s Association for more than 18 years and is responsible for the global communications, inclusive of public relations, social media and entertainment engagement, to further care and support, research, policy and advocacy for people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Over the past two years alone, Kate has navigated the Alzheimer’s Association communications through two Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accelerated approvals, a CEO transition, news of Tony Bennett’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and awareness collaboration with Lady Gaga. She leads the team that disseminates news across the 75 local chapters of the association, as well as communicate the association’s leadership in science through a research investment of more than $320 million in over 1,000 research projects in 54 countries, and spanning six continents.

Outside of work, Meyer has also served on the board of directors for Resilience, a nonprofit dedicated to the healing and empowerment of sexual assault survivors and effective positive change in policies and public attitudes toward sexual assault, since 2018.

“It is an especially humbling honor to be recognized by colleagues for both my volunteer service with local organizations, as well as my work in advancing global research, care and support on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association,” Meyer says. “I’m sincerely grateful for my career mentors who have always encouraged me to take on new challenges in the workplace and be an active volunteer in the community. I encourage all women, in every stage of their career, to seek opportunities that fuel their personal and professional passions, creating a win-win, as an individual for our local and global communities.”

As the current Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Cook County Health (CCH), one of the nation’s largest safety net health systems, and backed by her belief that everyone should have access to high quality healthcare regardless of income, insurance or immigration status, Caryn ensures her work, her team’s work and the work of the County’s health system is inclusive, culturally appropriate and equitable.

Caryn brings authenticity, creativity and commitment to every project — whether working with colleagues to initiate new services, executing marketing strategies for the system’s Medicaid health plan, building the health system’s brand never forgetting its 180+ year legacy; or most recently the development of a multi-million-dollar COVID marketing and public awareness campaign hyper-focused on communities of color. In addition to the campaign featuring black and brown physicians and community members, she challenged the team to increase minority and women owned business participation achieving a nearly 85% campaign spend going to local minority- or women-owned businesses.

Caryn has been making significant impacts throughout her 30-year career. She has worked to improve immunization rates among children; educate communities on HIV/AIDS; partnered with doctors and victims of violence to advocate for stronger gun control laws; built support for the construction of the first new County hospital in decades; and advocated for the patients CCH serves at the Cook County Jail. she is a tireless advocate for CCH’s patients elevating the health system and its leaders to engage in important conversations around health care reform, health equity, food and housing insecurity, mental health and substance abuse. She has made a positive contribution to the health of the residents of Cook County for three decades, making her a lifelong Chicago Woman of Impact.

In her nearly four-year tenure at College of DuPage, Wendy has consistently demonstrated exceptional growth, impact and change and truly embodies the values consistent with the qualities of a Women of Impact Award winner.

Over the years, several of Parks’ colleagues have praised her for her guidance and immeasurable influence she has had on their own careers. An award entry quote from one woman read, “Wendy’s guidance and friendship have been invaluable as I’ve navigated rapid changes in my career. She is a constant source of encouragement and I am inspired by how she approaches every decision with immense respect for process, while understanding the dynamics of human nature balanced with corporate strategy.”

The Women of Impact award will be an annual award launched each February in honor of International Women’s Day.