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City honors Fire Chief Panko with plaque and key to the city
Summary
Mayor recognized Chief Panko’s 32+ years of service to the Rockford Fire Department, presented a plaque and key to the city, and praised her career path from firefighter to the department’s 11th fire chief.
Mayor Thomas P. McNamara presented a plaque and a key to the city honoring Chief Panko for her service to the Rockford Fire Department. McNamara reminded the council that Chief Panko was sworn in as the department’s 11th fire chief on Sept. 8, 2021, and noted her progression through department ranks after joining the department in 1992.
The mayor listed Panko’s career roles — firefighter, training officer, EMS operations chief, lieutenant, captain, district chief — and cited academic credentials including a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University and a master’s in public administration from Northern Illinois University. He also referenced state certifications the chief holds and local recognitions, including the American Red Cross Disaster Services Hero award in April 2021.
"Chief Panko was awarded the American Red Cross Disaster Services Hero in April 2021... You have just done an amazing job as a leader of our fire department," the mayor said. Chief Panko accepted the recognition and spoke briefly, saying she was "very unexpected" and that she will miss colleagues after "32 plus years here." The mayor and other council members praised her leadership and thanked her for her service.
