New board member Courtney T. Podkowa has a heart for serving the local community and looks forward to making a difference in the lives of struggling families through her work with FamilyForward.
We are very fortunate to welcome Courtney T. Podkowa to the FamilyForward Board of Directors. Courtney has a heart for serving the local community and making a difference in the lives of struggling families.
Courtney is an attorney at Drost Kivlahan McMahon & O’Connor (DKMO) located in downtown Arlington Heights, just a few blocks away from the FamilyForward office. Courtney has been practicing law in Arlington Heights for the past six years and primarily concentrates in estate planning, elder law, and trust and estate administration. Having grown up with a large family including six grandparents and one great-grandmother, she has found these areas of law to be a rewarding fit for her.
Courtney originally hails from St. Louis but moved to Chicago after college to attend DePaul College of Law. She earned her undergraduate degree from Tulane University, where she enjoyed exploring and volunteering in the New Orleans community.
During law school, Courtney clerked in the Cook County Office of the Public Guardian’s juvenile division as well as its adult guardianship division. There, she witnessed the extreme struggles families face when they do not have adequate support or resources to help them through difficult times.
Courtney came to know FamilyForward through her role in representing the estate of an Arlington Heights resident. She worked with FamilyForward’s staff to donate items from the estate to our client families and was deeply impressed with FamilyForward and our mission to help low-income, working families. Courtney joined the board in May 2022. “I am looking forward to helping FamilyForward grow, reach more members of the community, and continue to help families for years to come.”
Courtney is an active member of the Illinois Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She was named a Rising Star in Elder Law by Illinois Super Lawyers in 2020, 2021 and 2022. She currently resides in Glenview with her husband and their dog, Winnie. She enjoys spending time in the community, meeting new people and attending Chamber of Commerce events, and frequenting the restaurants of Arlington Alfresco, an open-air, pedestrian-friendly, outdoor-dining community program in Arlington Heights.
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