Looking back: Deb Benedict and Rita Plourde

Deb Benedict and Rita Plourde are widely recognized as two of the most influential and important community leaders in Cook County during the past two decades.

Benedict served as the executive director at WTIP from 2001 to June 2018. Under her direction, WTIP grew into a trusted provider of news, information and entertainment on the North Shore, with a nine person-staff, dozens of volunteers, over 1,200 members and many thousands of listeners.

Plourde retired this year from Sawtooth Mountain Clinic. She served as the administrator of the clinic for 38 years before announcing her retirement earlier this year. Plourde joined Sawtooth Mountain Clinic in 1981 and she was responsible for recruiting and retaining physicians and support staff to provide services at the local Clinic, as well as securing funding for health care operations and establishing and maintaining public health services in our community.

Benedict and Plourde were the featured guests of a WTIP community conversation Oct. 17.

Joe Friedrichs October 18, 2019