"A Country of Traumatized Children
The Children of Kosovo"
PDG Elise Cadigan entered the Downtown Rockford Rotary Club in September 1988 sponsored by Dr. Bob Henry & with the classification of “Hospital-Clinic Professional”. In 1991, Elise did a Rotary make-up in Moscow while in Russia with a USA Government People to People Team., led by Rotarian Mike Warner.
She served as the Club’s first woman president in 1999-2000, previously serving as club membership chair and group study exchange chair. She participated in the development of the Club’s signature project-The Rotary Academy (2000-2002), and in the chartering of the Rockford College Rotaract Club & the Rockford School of Medicine Rotaract Club. She is a Rotary Foundation Major Donor level 2, a Bequest Society member.
District 6420 Service: District Youth Exchange/and Peace Fellows Committee, District Governor Nominating Committee (1997-98), District 6420 Conference Chair (1998), Short-term Youth Exchange Committee Chair (2005-2007), District Youth Protection Committee Chair & Youth Protection Officer (2005-2007), District 6420 Group Study Exchange/Vocational Training Team Committees for 16 years. Elise led a District 6420 Vocational Training Team of 6420 Rotary professionals to NebbiTowne, Uganda to improve the medical care of women/children, to create a school library and to create a safer educational environment through Trauma education of teachers and police officers.
Past Community Service: Member Junior League of Rockford, Board of Counselors at Rockford College, Senior Warden of St. Anskars Episcopal Church, Board of Directors United Way of Rock River Valley, Board of Directors Children’s Development Center, Board of Directors Big Brothers/Big Sisters Winnebago County, City of Rockford Head Start Advisory Council, Trustee/ Past President of the Board of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. Current Community Service: Member of the Rockford Woman’s Club (Board of Managers), Deans Council for the University of Illinois College of Medicine/Rockford, Board Directors of the Harlem Community Center, CFNIL Strategic Planning Committee.
Glenn and Elise have been host parents for Rotary long & short-term exchange students, international students of Rockford College, and have hosted GSE team members and team members from the Russian Agricultural Exchange. A graduate of Washburn University (Topeka, Kansas) and the University of Kansas (M.S.W., 1977), Elise has lived in Northern Illinois since 1979, and has maintained a private practice in clinical social work at Glenwood Center since 1980. From 1982-1988, she developed and managed the adolescent inpatient psychiatric & substance abuse treatment programs at Swedish American Hospital. Elise has attended 16 RI conventions, including Singapore, Osaka, and Bangkok.