Leadership Greater McHenry County has tapped a McHenry County College official to lead the organization.

Catherine Jones, who is the associate vice president for workforce development at MCC, will take over in January for Executive Director Marcy Piekos, whose retirement was announced in August after 15 years of leading the organization.

Jones is a longtime advocate and supporter of the leadership training organization and played a key role in developing and launching its nonprofit leadership intern program, according to an LGMC news release.

“With deep-rooted connections throughout the community, she brings a wealth of relationships that will foster new partnerships and expand LGMC’s reach. Her academic expertise in program design, development, and implementation will further strengthen the organization’s strategic initiatives,” the release said of Jones.

Jones is one of the 2025 recipients of the Northwest Herald’s Women of Distinction award, which honor women who are mentors and leaders in their respective fields. She is a convenor of the Manufacturing Pathways Consortium, which focuses on manufacturing workforce development in and around the county, according to her Women of Distinction bio.

Jones is also on the Project SEARCH steering committee, which seeks to connect young adults with disabilities to competitive employment, according to her bio.

Other workforce and economic development initiatives Jones is involved with include the McHenry County Workforce Investment Board and the STEP Forward program for those involved in the justice system, according to the release.

Jones first began at MCC as the coordinator of the Illinois Small Business Development Center and has been the executive director of Workforce, Community and Business programs at the college. She has an undergraduate degree from Olivet Nazarene University and an MBA from Loyola University Chicago.

“Her passion for community engagement and commitment to LGMC’s values position her to lead the organization into its next chapter of growth and impact,” according to the release.