Jessica Steinberg, 27

By Mary Erpenbach

How young was Jessica Steinberg when she decided her career goal was to become the country’s first woman president? “I was in grade school at St. Edward’s School,” she said, with a laugh. “A friend and I actually had a whole campaign planned.”

Her goals changed as she got older, but her dream-big drive remained intact and helped her earn a Girl Scout Gold Award in high school and then a degree in international affairs and Spanish from Marquette University. When destiny called, Steinberg was busily applying at prestigious graduate schools — sure she would someday work overseas for an important international organization. Yet when it turned out that destiny was the Rockford Park District, Steinberg was thrilled.

“I had worked for the park district all through high school and college,” she said. “I couldn’t think of a better place to work, and I already had a great start working for the organization.”

Steinberg’s drive and skills at organization management were what the park district needed, and she hit the ground running. Hired as the operations manager of aquatics, tennis and ice facilities, Steinberg quickly distinguished herself and was promoted and then promoted again.

Today she is the director of Magic Waters Waterpark and the district’s four other aquatic facilities. She has founded far-reaching and effective swim-safety programs for children, along with a reading program that drew 50,000 kids this year.

Fittingly, she was recently elected chairman — make that the first woman chairman — of the World Waterpark Association’s public sector committee.