Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence

Jillisa is a Rockford native with a passion for helping others. She has extensive experience in policy development, operations, grant writing and juvenile court and child welfare system practices. Jillisa works as the early childhood mental health and data project manager for Alignment Rockford. Prior leadership roles include executive director for Children’s Safe Harbor, and director and supervisor at Winnebago County CASA.

She is deeply engaged in our community as board chair for Secondary Success and Beyond and as co-chair of the Winnebago Couty Action Team, which is focused on the mortality rate for African American infants and reducing the number of children in foster care. She is a member of the City of Rockford Civilian Oversight Board, the Winnebago County Health Department Maternal Health Steering Committee, the Mayor’s Task Force on Domestic and Community Violence Prevention, the Youth Mental Health Systems of Care planning committee, Junior League of Rockford and was previously a Steering Committee Member of the 17^th Judicial Circuit Family Violence Coordinating Council and IDEA chair for the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Rockford Chapter.

Jillisa earned a B.S. in psychology and B.A. in sociology from Western Illinois University and will complete an executive MBA from Northern Illinois University in January of 2025. She is a proud wife and mother and resides in Rockford with her husband and two children.

Jillisa’s areas of skill include:

• General facilitation
• Team building
• Project management
• Community engagement strategy