Sally N. Fairbank to be Honored as Influential Woman in Business

Sally N. Fairbank has been selected as one of the 2012 recipients of the Daily Herald Business Ledger's 15th annual Influential Women in Business award.

Professor and coordinator of Paralegal Studies at College of DuPage, Fairbank will be honored during an upcoming recognition reception on Oct. 29. This year's recipients will also be profiled in the Dec. 10 issue of the Daily Herald Business Ledger.

“I was honored that a former COD Paralegal instructor and past recipient of the award, attorney Mary Callow, nominated me for the award, demonstrating her belief that I had developed a program that was making a true contribution to the business community,” said the Glen Ellyn resident. “I particularly appreciate that – in the eyes of the selection committee – educators are seen as equal partners and leaders in the business community, and paralegal education is recognized as important to the world of business.”

Fairbank earned her J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. After moving to Chicago, she worked as an associate attorney at a medium-sized civil litigation firm, in product liability and transactional law at International Harvester Company (now Navistar) and Motorola in Chicago, and in the juvenile division at the DuPage County Public Defender's office.

When the Paralegal Studies program started at the College in 2006, Fairbank was hired to create curriculum, interview and hire adjunct faculty, schedule all courses, select all textbooks, and form an active advisory committee that now consists of 20 lawyers, paralegals and career professionals. In 2010, the program received approval from the American Bar Association, a recognized leader in evaluating paralegal education programs and granting approval to programs that meet its rigorous guidelines.

This spring, Fairbank was named Outstanding Overall Faculty Member at College of DuPage. In addition, the Illinois Community College Trustees Association named Fairbank as the statewide outstanding faculty member, selecting her from awardees from all 48 Illinois community colleges.

The Influential Women in Business Awards are presented to outstanding women executives who excel in business, civic and personal arenas. The awards are presented in partnership with the National Association of Women Business Owners – Chicago Area Chapter and the Women's Innovation Network (WIN).

For more about COD's Paralegal Studies program, visit www.cod.edu/programs/paralegal.