The first time Lynn Caccavallo joined the Cary-Grove Area Chamber of Commerce, she needed stable employment to support her young family.

Years later, after two brief periods away from the chamber, Caccavallo returned with renewed purpose. Recognizing her commitment and leadership, the board encouraged her to apply for the role of president and CEO – a position that aligned with her passion for the community. This past June marked her ninth anniversary in that role.

Caccavallo is the among 10 honorees of the Northwest Herald’s 2025 Women of Distinction Awards. The honor highlights women in McHenry County, nominated by their peers, friends and loved ones, who provide leadership in their fields of expertise, serve as role models and mentors, advocate positive social change or give back to their community through time, talent and resources.

“I’m deeply honored to receive this recognition,” Caccavallo said. “As president and CEO of the chamber, my role is to lead with intention –fostering collaboration, strengthening connections, and ensuring that our business community thrives together. It’s not just a position – it’s a commitment to driving progress for Cary and Fox River Grove.

In the chamber, Caccavallo and her staff are bridge-builders, helping businesses of all sizes connect, grow and thrive. They serve as a promotional hub and event planners, hosting networking lunches, after-hours gatherings and signature community-wide events that spotlight local businesses and organizations. The chamber is one of the largest in McHenry County.

“What started as a job soon became a meaningful career, one that gave me purpose and reminded me that even in the midst of loss, there is always something to give,” she said. “I’m especially honored to now serve as president of the chamber, a role that has given me the opportunity to lead with heart, vision and deep commitment to our community.”

The Cary-Grove Chamber works with local village leaders and businesses to produce events, from Cruise Nights during the summer to Cary Main Street Fest in September, the Merry Cary Holiday Parade in December, to name a few.

Longtime Cary resident Mark Solak, who works for Shaw Media with local chambers, including the Cary-Grove Chamber of Commerce, said he really admires what Caccavallo has done to increase the chamber’s vibrancy.

“Lynn has brought people together,” Solak said.

For Caccavallo, her role in the chamber is even more than a passion for the community. She often thinks of it as her way to support the community that was there for her at one her most difficult times.

Her first husband died in 2009 after a six-month struggle with cancer. He had been a well-known figure in the community, coaching sports teams, volunteering with events and serving on local sports boards, and his loss was felt throughout the community. For Caccavallo, losing her husband of 22 years meant facing both profound grief and the responsibility of moving forward for their children.

“It was the kind of loss that brings everything in your life to a halt. And in that space, I had a choice: I could stay frozen in the pain, or I could take a step forward,” Caccavallo said. “I chose to lean into it and take one step, one moment at a time, not because it was easy, but because I knew I had to show my children and myself, that this tragedy would not define me or them. Our story wouldn’t end in tragedy.”

She said, “More than that, I knew, honoring his life meant choosing not only to persevere, but to embrace the opportunity to thrive. To keep living with intention, with purpose, and with the hope that something meaningful could still grow from something so tragic.”

One of the outlets she sought was the grief support group hosted at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington. The impact that had on her inspired her to step into a leadership role for the program in 2011. She later helped expand the program to the church’s Crystal Lake location.

“I felt it was important to help others,” Caccavallo said. “When you’ve walked through loss, you understand how vital hope is. It becomes about finding the strength to reach back with an open hand – and offering others the same compassion and encouragement that once carried you.”

For Caccavallo, that hope was found when she allowed herself to love again. She remarried in 2011, and together she and her husband, Michael, are parents to a beautifully blended family of six children and, now, grandchildren too.

“Michael chose not only to love me,” she said, “but to embrace my children and help carry our broken hearts. Out of that love, we’ve built something I cherish every day.”

She calls him “a great blessing,” noting that his steady strength and quiet courage have remained constant through everything life has placed before them.

Additionally, Caccavallo makes time with local organizations in McHenry County. She is a board member for the McHenry County Workforce Development and a member of the Manufacturing Partnership Consortium. She’s a volunteer with United Way of McHenry County, supporting the allocation committee.

She has also recently stepped into a role as a strategic partner with Stryker Sage in Cary. This is a new community giving initiative. In this capacity, she plays an active role in shaping how a portion of the company’s philanthropic giving is directed to support meaningful initiatives within the community.

“It’s an incredible privilege to be part of something so impactful,” Caccavallo said.