Her life’s work: Women of Distinction honoree Leonetta Rizzi follows her calling to help those struggling

In many ways, Leonetta Rizzi found her career as a calling. She was an undergrad studying nursing when she first learned the impact mental health care providers could have with patients. While her classmates were happy to move along after the psych rotation, she felt drawn to the practice.

“I absolutely loved it. I felt very comfortable. I found I could really help individuals that were struggling,” Rizzi said.

She completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing and practiced as a counselor on an inpatient adolescent unit a year before her graduation. A few years later, she completed a master’s degree in child and family studies, all while working at an inpatient facility and an outpatient practice and facilitating an after-school prevention program for middle school youth.

She followed up with a second master’s degree in business administration while continuing to grow in her career and accepting leadership roles, including helping to manage the Crisis Services in McHenry County. She also spent time working in the corporate realm.

“I learned early on that as a leader, I am able to influence so many more lives in a different way than I could one-on-one with individuals,” Rizzi said.

Rizzi is the among 11 honorees of the 2024 Women of Distinction Awards, recognized by the Northwest Herald. The honor highlights women in McHenry County, nominated by their peers, friends and loved ones, who provide leadership in their fields of expertise, serve as role models and mentors, advocate positive social change or give back to their community through time, talent and resources.

Rizzi began her career helping individual patients and now, more than 40 years later, she is proud of her role supporting mental health, substance use disorder and intellectual-developmental disability services and influencing advocacy efforts as the executive director for the McHenry County Mental Health Board since January 2022.

“This position really fit for me and brought all my skill sets together,” Rizzi said. “It know this community and am dedicated to the work overall and in filling gaps in care.”

The McHenry County Mental Health Board is the oldest in the state, formed following voter approved referendum in 1967 In 2024 county residents votes to move the funding for the services the Mental Health Board supports from property tax income to sales tax income.

Today, the McHenry Mental Health Board supports more than 80 programs and services in 36 organizations.

“Without our support, we wouldn’t have these vital services in our community,” Rizzi said.

The board’s annual funding cycle this year includes 103 grant applications. To fund all those requests would require $16 million, Rizzi said, explaining the board has a budget of $10.8 million.

“That is the greatest demand we’ve ever had,” Rizzi said, adding this demonstrates the crucial need in the community.

She said, “Overall though, when we look at what we are able to fund, to provide for the residents of McHenry County, it’s amazing. We have an incredible network of providers and quality services.”

Rizzi said her role as the executive director for the county’s mental health board is challenge, but she isn’t one to shy away from challenges.

“She believes that this is her life’s work and that she has more to get done,” said Michael Baber, a member of the McHenry Mental Health Board for the past 12 years and doctor of psychology with a private practice.

Rizzi aims to increase awareness of the community’s mental health services and resources through her monthly column in the Northwest Herald, helping the community learn about valuable resources right at their fingertips, such as the MCHELP health app, which you can download at mc708.org/mchelp-app. The free app has information on resources along with a text/chat feature with a professional 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“We want people to download it. I think it is a valuable tool,” she said.

Alongside her career and other roles in the community, Rizzi has served as a mentor for the last 10 years with Imerman Angels, where she is a resource to women who, like her, have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She is cancer-free for 11 years.

“I’m a sounding board for other women who are going through it. I love being a mentor helping with all the unknowns of the cancer journey and giving other women the power of hope,” she said.

In 2023, she was awarded the Distinguished Service Award for her collaboration with Crystal Lake School District 47, and this spring she was recognized with the Vision of Hope Award from NAMI-McHenry County.

“It’s been very humbling, but it tells me I’m in the right place,” Rizzi said. “There’s nothing that means more to me than making a difference in the lives of others. We all have the power to positively influence everyone you come in contact with.”