Bobbie L. Steele Elected by a unanimous vote on July 19, 2006, Cook County Board
President Bobbie L. Steele crossed another milestone in her legacy
as a public servant, when she was sworn into office August 1, 2006 as
the first female president in Cook County history.
Born in Cleveland, Mississippi, for two-years she attended the Alabama
A&M College in Huntsville, Alabama then came to Chicago's West Side in
1956 where she met and married Robert Steele. The couple had seven
children and are the grandparents of 15 grandchildren.
Steele received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education
from the Chicago Teacher's College in 1966. After teaching for a short
time, Steele enrolled at Roosevelt University where she earned a Masters
Degree in Supervision and Administration of Education. She taught in the
Chicago Public School System for more than 20-years.
In 1986 at the urging of the late Mayor Harold Washington, Steele ran
for commissioner of the Cook County Board and won with more than 500,000
votes.
Just as in teaching, Steele set high standards of excellence in
politics where in 1987, she introduced an amendment to Cook County's
Purchasing Ordinance, which established a goal of 25% participation for
minorities and 10% for women on all county purchases. Steele also
co-sponsored Cook County's Human Rights and Ethics Ordinances. She is
credited with the charge to re-open Provident Hospital in 1993.
President Steele also sponsored the Class 9 tax incentive for all
multiple unit buildings in Cook County. She was the longest serving
African American to serve as Chairman of the Finance Committee of the
Forest Preserve District of Cook County.
She also was the first African American female to serve as
Vice-Chairman of the Cook County Corporate Budget, and she has also
chaired the following committees: Contract Compliance, Department of
Corrections, Education, Real Estate, and Rules.
Steele is the past President emeritus of the National Association of
Black County Officials (NABCO) and the immediate past chairman of NACo,
(National Association of Counties) Deferred Compensation
Advisory Committee. She is the President of the Illinois Counties
Association Officials and as the past member of the Health Steering
Committee, Steele helps to shape public health policies for indigent
citizens throughout America..
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