Janice Rodgers - Lincoln Park Resident - to be Honored as Woman of the Year by Rotary Club

Janice Rodgers, a partner in the law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP, will be honored as a Woman of the Year by the Rotary Club of Chicago at a luncheon to be held Tuesday, June 17, 2014 at the Union League Club of Chicago.  This is the second year Rotary, Chicago’s oldest service organization, has honored outstanding women for their commitment to community.

Lisa Russ, former President of the Rotary Club of Chicago, comments “Ms. Rodgers is being honored for her long standing commitment to increasing resources and opportunities for women and girls in the greater Chicago area.  We are particularly impressed with her work with The Chicago Foundation for Women (http://www.cfw.org), a grant-making organization that support women’s issues.  Ms. Rodgers is an example of an unsung hero who deserves to be recognized for her volunteerism towards the betterment of our community.”  

 Janice Rodgers, who is National Chair of her firm’s Tax-Exempt Organizations Team, is also a volunteer director of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law (http://www.povertylaw.org/), a national organization based in Chicago that advances laws and policies that secure justice for people living in poverty. “I am particularly interested in organizations that advocate for systemic change rather than providing only direct service. While direct service is important, I feel dollars accomplish the most if they are used toward changing broader systems.  For example, funding advocacy to achieve a legal requirement of reasonable accommodation of pregnancy-related disabilities (such as allowing a pregnant woman to keep a water bottle with her as she works or to sit on a stool at a cash register) results in economic and health benefits for a far greater number of women and their families than a comparable investment in direct aid to a small number of women."

 Janice Rodgers has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2007 … she was named one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Illinois by Super Lawyers® (2007-2009 & 2012) … the ‘2010 Impact Award’ from the Chicago Foundation for Women … and the Donors Forum of Chicago Mel Tracht Outstanding Volunteer Award in 2003.

 The world’s  oldest service club and founded right here in Chicago in 1905, ROTARY/ONE, is made up of professional men and women who meet weekly to collaborate on business  and to use collective talents and resources to make a difference in the world.   There are over 34,000 clubs around the world, with 1.2 million members

For more information:   www.rotaryone.org or call 312.372.3900