McHenry County College (MCC) and the Friends of McHenry County College Foundation have named Kristina Whitmore as the recipient of the 2024-2025 Distinguished Alumni Award. She is recognized for her extraordinary contributions to both her field and her community.
Whitmore is the Vice President of Operations for Northwestern Medicine in McHenry and Woodstock. She is a nurse by background and has over 26 years of experience in healthcare, 18 of those years in various nursing and operational leadership roles. She is also a graduate of Leadership Greater McHenry County (Class of 2020) and received the Nurse of the Year- Transformational Leadership Award in 2016.
Whitmore holds a Master of Science in Nursing with an emphasis in leadership in health care systems from Grand Canyon University. She also earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rockford University and her Associate of Applied Science from MCC.
MCC holds a special place for Whitmore as she was the first in her family to graduate with a college degree. Attending MCC gave her the opportunity to continue working at Northwestern Medicine as a nursing technician while pursuing her education. This allowed her to balance her work experience and scholarly knowledge to go on to become a nurse. Her husband of 22 years, Ryan, is also a graduate of MCC. Their son is currently attending MCC, and their daughter will be attending MCC in the fall of 2028. Whitmore also enjoys participating in community enrichment programs at MCC, such as sign language courses and swing dance lessons. She also recently joined the Friends of MCC Foundation Board.
MCC recently honored Whitmore at a special reception on May 2, which included her family, friends, colleagues, and previous distinguished alumni.
“Our Distinguished Alumni remind us of the incredible impact MCC graduates have in their professions and communities,” said Christina Haggerty, Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Development at MCC. “Kristina’s story is a powerful example of where an MCC education can lead. We’re proud to celebrate her accomplishments and grateful to count her among our alumni.”
Find more on
alumni programs at MCC here.
