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Bobbie L Steele
Bobbie L. Steele: President, commissioner, community activists, teacher and mother. Steele is the product of the Lawndale Community of Chicago by way of Cleveland, Mississippi. Steele graduated fro...view moreBobbie L. Steele: President, commissioner, community activists, teacher and mother. Steele is the product of the Lawndale Community of Chicago by way of Cleveland, Mississippi. Steele graduated from Cleveland Colored Consolidated High School in 1954. She attended Alabama A. & M. College in Huntsville Alabama two years before moving to Chicago in 1956.
Upon arriving in Chicago Steele worked many odd jobs to earn tuition so that she could return to college. During her lengthy job search she met and a married Robert Steele (a loving relationship that lasted 52 years). But marriage did not prevent Steele from losing sight of her goal. After the birth of her first 2 children Steele enrolled in evening school at Chicago Teacher’s College and after 10 years of evening school and five additional children she finally accomplished her goal by receiving a B.S. Degree in Elementary Education.
Steele was passionate about helping to educate children and thought of becoming an elementary school principal. She later enrolled in Roosevelt University evening graduate program, where she received a Master’s Degree in Supervision and Administration of Education.
In 1982 Steele’s teaching reputation and community organizing activities caught the attention of Congressman Harold Washington who was contemplating running for Mayor of the City of Chicago. He chose Steele as his running mate in the 24th Ward. Steele was not successful in the election but was appointed by Mayor Washington to the Commission on Women Affairs for the city of Chicago. As a member of the commission, Steele was able to interact with women from all over the city and was soon asked by Cook County Democratic Women to run for Commissioner on the Cook County Board.
Steele accepted the challenge and with the help of Mayor Harold Washington she was elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners with an overwhelming victory, 534, 000 votes in 1985, a position to which she was elected 5 additional four year terms establishing her as the longest serving woman in the history of Cook County government for her time. Finally Steele’s distinguished and dedicated service on the County Board gave rise to her becoming the first in her area of service. She was the first woman to serve as Finance Chairman of the Cook County Forest Preserve Committee. She also was the first and only female Cook County Commissioner inducted into the Chicago Women’s Hall of Fame. And in 2006 she made history by becoming the first woman President of Cook County Board of Commissioners with oversight authority of a 3.2 billion dollar budget.
Steele is now retired but serves as an active member on three civic Boards: Illinois Counties Board of Directors, Illinois Women in Leadership Board of Directors and Lawndale Christian Development Board of Directors. During the time Steele was pursuing her career goals she was also active in her church, Mt. Hebron Baptist Church where she served as a teacher in the youth department of the Sunday school and Baptist Training Union. She was a founding member of Mt. Hebron Baptist Church Gospel Choir and Chairman of The J.N. Wordlaw Church Scholarship Committee for 25 years. In 1996 Steele united with United Baptist Church where she is an active member in Sunday school and the hospitality committee.
Steele’s guiding principle is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine hearts; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” She also has a daily commitment from one of her favorite songs that says, “If I can help somebody as I pass alone, if I can cheer somebody with a word or a song, if I can show somebody that they are traveling wrong THEN MY LIVING WILL NOT BE IN VAIN.”view less