PEORIA MAGAZINE July 2022

it were all a hoax. She never minded the give-and-take regarding the science, but drew the line at the occasional email threats – “You guys are killing our kids,” “Be careful where you go,” etc. —which she’d pass on to the police. She shakes her head with a smile, recalling her lack of preparation for such trying times: “We did not have a special class on … how to debate an individual who doesn’t want to hear the truth.” Hendrickson found comfort in family life. While she was busy at work, husband Matt – an engineer at Caterpillar Inc. – couldwork fromhome, where he tended to their daughters, Maya, now 10, and Indra, 6. Her family drives her to extensive work in the community, which has garnered her multiple awards. “We want to make sure our kids are involved in a community they’re proud of,” she said. These days, though COVID has ebbed and the daily press conferences have ended, Hendrickson is routinely recognized in public. Many people – obviously impressed by her handling of the pandemic – have asked if she plans on moving on to another job in a bigger town. “I feel Peoria is a great place to live and work,” she says with a wide smile. “I love the job I do. And it’s not done.”

dealing with the press and its questions, she appeared at daily televised news conferences to deliver the updates to the public, and quickly came to appreciate the gravity of her role.

marveled at her ability to take command during an uncertain time, as well as stay clear in her messaging. “She probably would have been described as demure before COVID,”

‘I THINK A LEADER IS ONE WHO TRIES TO BRING EVERYONE UP… JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE HEAD OF AN AGENCY DOESN’T MAKE YOU A LEADER’

Monica Hendrickson

Rand said. “But she transformed into a calming, community voice. “I don’t think anyone with a memory about all this will ever forget her.” Not everyone was a fan. She and her staff were continually pelted with emails and voice mails criticizing the department for overblowing the epidemic. About 10 percent of the public, she thinks, never will believe the seriousness and scope of COVID-19, as if

For the residents of central Illinois, “I think it became important for them to see their local leadership,” she said. But Hendrickson did more than just deliver information. For many citizens, Hendrickson – her tone and manner bereft of any drama or hyperbole — became a reassuring authority. County Board Chairman Andrew Rand, who appeared at many of those press conferences with Hendrickson,

Phil Luciano is a senior writer/columnist for Peoria Magazine and content contributor to public television station WTVP

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