Toni Preckwinkle was first elected Cook County Board President in 2010. Prior to joining the Cook County Board, Ms. Preckwinkle served as alderman of Chicago’s 4th Ward for 19 years. In that time, Ms. Preckwinkle built a professional and responsive ward organization that met the diverse needs of her constituents. She sponsored the living wage and affordable housing ordinance, and was a lead plaintiff in a lawsuit to institute a more racially equitable map of Chicago’s ward boundaries.

Prior to joining Chicago City Council, Ms. Preckwinkle taught high school history in Chicago for 10 years. During that time, she ran a non-profit organization aimed at neighborhood improvement. Ms. Preckwinkle was recipient of the IVI-IPO Best Alderman Award in 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2005 and 2008. She also received the 1997 and 2009 Leon Despres Awards. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.