Lourdes (Lulu) Blacksmith, EdD serves as the Managing Director of Community Engagement and Legislative
Affairs for Elgin Community College. In addition to building meaningful collaborations and partnerships and strategic relationships with businesses, institutions, and individuals throughout Community College District 509, Blacksmith oversees the college’s legislative initiatives.
From 2002 to 2008, Blacksmith served as the Director of Community Relations and District Press Secretary for the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Between 1987 and 2002, Blacksmith served as the Manager of Community Outreach at AMITA Health Mercy Medical Center (Formerly Presence) in Aurora, IL.
Over the years, Blacksmith has served Kane County as a volunteer in many capacities. Her interest in helping others stems from her life experience as an immigrant. Blacksmith founded Compañeros en Salud / Partners in Health, NFP in 1999 to provide the Hispanic community and other diverse groups with the means to access resources and services for their health and well-being. In 2000, Blacksmith also founded Language Access to Healthcare, a free community-based, health care interpreting service to increase access to health care. Blacksmith advocates and works to raise awareness of health disparities and the importance of higher education.
Blacksmith is active in several groups including Compañeros en Salud/Partners in Health, NFP, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency on Planning (CMAP), the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce, Business and Economic Revival Council, Elgin Human Services Council, the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley, The Conservation Foundation, and R.I.S.E (Racial, Inclusion, Support and Equity) of South Elgin.
Blacksmith earned her Doctor of Education degree in Leadership in Higher Education and Organizational Change from Benedictine University, a master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership from Northeastern Illinois University, her bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts with an Emphasis on Multicultural Studies from DePaul University and an associate degree in Applied Sciences from Waubonsee Community College. Blacksmith lives in Elburn, IL with her husband Steve. Blacksmith has two daughters, Nikki and Stefanie.