JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow is pleased to announce the appointment of Ruth Colby, President and CEO of Silver Cross Hospital, to the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center’s Board of Directors.
Colby will bring to the Board of Directors a wealth of professional experience, a history of community involvement, proven leadership, and a deep commitment to protecting children from sexual abuse.
State’s Attorney Glasgow, who chairs the board, established the Children’s Advocacy Center in 1995 as a not-for-profit agency to improve investigations into cases involving child sexual abuse. When children make an outcry of sexual abuse, they are brought to the center, where trained and compassionate forensic interviewers obtain an accurate statement in a neutral, non-suggestive, and child-friendly environment. Interviews recorded at the center have been used to successfully prosecute thousands of predators. In addition, the center’s experienced staff provides children and families with advocacy, counseling, and social services that enable the healing process to begin.
Colby, who was named President and CEO of Silver Cross Hospital in 2017, has a long history of working with organizations that provide services to children. She served for two decades on the Board of Directors for the Heartland Alliance, which has developed programs that provide support services, shelter, and placements for children who were the victims of human trafficking. And over the years, she has developed strong relationships with local youth-based organizations, including the Forest Park Community Center, the Harvey Brooks Center, and the Warren-Sharpe Community Center.
In additional to playing a pivotal role over the years in the expansion of the Silver Cross campus and the hospital’s clinical programs, Colby has been actively involved with many community health organizations, including the Will County Health Department’s Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships Collaborative Council, the University of Chicago Medicine Cancer Research Women’s Board, and the Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission.
At Silver Cross Hospital, Colby succeeded longtime President and CEO Paul Pawlak, who donated an office suite on the Silver Cross Hospital campus for the Center when it was newly established by State’s Attorney Glasgow back in 1995.
“Ruth brings to the table her tremendous experience and a great passion for protecting vulnerable children,” State’s Attorney Glasgow said. “Silver Cross Hospital has been there from the start for the Children’s Advocacy Center, and Ruth’s service on the board is a continuation of that valued relationship. I am honored that she is putting her skills to work for this vital agency.”
The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center also is a proud partner of United Way of Will County. For information about the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, call (815) 774-4565 or visit on the Web at www.willcountycac.org