Women of Distinction honoree Terri Greeno has many roles, from county board member to businesswoman

It wasn’t just about her dream of opening her own business. It was an opportunity to see others find employment and make a difference in their lives.

In 2003, Terri Greeno opened Express Employment Professionals in Crystal Lake. Greeno said she and her husband always wanted to open their own business, and the franchise opportunity for Express Employment Professionals was an opportunity to utilize her skills from consulting, marketing and training to help those in her community find work and to help businesses find the staff they needed.

“I loved it,” Greeno said. “We’re putting people to work. It makes a difference, helping people put food on their table.”

Greeno is the current class of 11 recipients of the Northwest Herald’s Women of Distinction Awards. 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 re sources.

In Greeno’s case, those that have found employment through the Express Employment Professionals return from time to time to say thanks or share their successes, explained Greeno’s daughter Leslie Laemont, a co-owner in the employment firm. They’ve witnessed those who start with one job and rise through a company to become leaders and even, in one case, a CEO.

Laemont said she’s witnessed the success within the company itself, with Greeno mentoring two of her staff members who went on to own their own franchises of Express Employment Professionals in Rockford and Aurora.

“She has a passion for developing leaders,” Laemont said.

Greeno’s role as a small businesswoman is just a fraction of the story. She is far more well-known for her service throughout the community, whether it’s supporting nonprofits or serving constituents as a representative on the McHenry County Board.

Greeno said she never thought she’d be involved in politics or asking for voter support. It was a series of conversations, along with her own questions about the county’s budget and spending, that sparked her interest.

“You build into the community that builds into you,” Greeno said.

Greeno was involved in the early years of CASA of McHenry County, at a time when staff was campaigning for courts to utilize the volunteers to support youth involved in court proceedings through no fault of their own. She said that from the start, she saw how important the role of a volunteer could be for a child and the child’s family. CASA of McHenry County would go on to serve as a model for other counties in the state as they developed their own CASA organizations.

She’s also served on the boards of Refuge for Women and WINGS. Greeno, a mother of three, said she was naturally drawn to organizations supporting women and children.

Greeno has worked on the Kane/Kendall/DeKalb and Grundy Counties Work Force Development, as well as now serving on the McHenry County Work Force Development, and she is an advocate for programming to help young people explore career development in the trades. She’s excited for the new Foglia Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation at McHenry County College, providing students with the opportunity to get their hands on the latest technology and equipment in areas including heating, ventilation and air conditioning, automation, robotics, construction, welding and fabrication.

“We want our talent to stay here in McHenry County,” Greeno said. “There are so many amazing people in this county.”

Greeno grew up in Beech Grove, Indiana, with farming in the family. The opportunity for her own family to own a parcel of land was another dream come to fruition. Her family owns 33 acres of unincorporated land. She has her home, a home for her daughter’s family and room for an array of animals including horses, chickens and a donkey. She makes time to teach her grandchildren how to play piano and she wants to carve out some time to try gardening in the future too.

Greeno said she finds the Fox River Valley beautiful and when she looks out over the land, she said it feels more like home than any place in the world, because it is.