29th Annual H. Woods Bowman Public Service Lecture

DePaul University's School of Public Service welcomes you to join us for our 29th Annual H. Woods Bowman Public Service Lecture featuring Dr. Magdalena Rivera, President of the Illinois Migrant Council. This annual lecture serves to honor the memory of SPS Professor H. Woods Bowman (1941 – 2015) and to allow the DePaul community to hear from someone who has made a significant impact on public service. Past keynote speakers have included former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, former Presidential Chief of Staff Bill Daley, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

Light refreshments will be served. Attend the lecture either in person at DePaul's Loop campus or virtually via Zoom.

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Dr. Maggie Rivera is the daughter of a former Bracero migrant farm worker. She grew up in Woodstock/Chicago, IL, and has been an advocate for human rights since the age of 16. She has been a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) for 25 years and is the founder of many councils across the Midwest. She has held many positions within LULAC at the national, state and local levels, currently serving as state director for Illinois. In October 2017, Dr. Rivera was unanimously appointed to CEO/President of the Illinois Migrant Council, a non-profit organization that services seasonal and farmworkers across Illinois. Throughout her lifetime, she has volunteered for numerous other nonprofit organizations.

Dr. Rivera graduated from Benito Juarez Academy in Chicago and obtained her bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from National Louis University-Chicago. She then completed all curriculum requirements for the clinical psychology master’s degree, also from National Louis University-Chicago. In 2007 she obtained a master’s degree in business management/organizational leadership from Webster University, on the same day her husband Jose and daughter Jennifer obtained their master’s degrees. In December 2018 she graduated from Novus/Universidad Pedagogica Nacional de Zacatecas, Mexico, via Phoenix, AZ, where she earned an international PhD in education. She has participated in many international forums and has been a keynote speaker on women’s issues across the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Peru.

Dr. Rivera has worked in many different fields, from crop picking in the fields to government, mental health clinics, banking and other public and nonprofit institutions. She and her husband manage the family real estate and grocery store businesses. Dr. Rivera is the recipient of many awards and recognitions including the National “Athena” award and the 2016 Othli award from Los Pinos in Mexico. Dr. Rivera is a proud mom to Jennifer and Jose Alanis, and has four grandchildren (Mariana, Alejandra, Marcos and Karlie). She lives with her husband, Jose, in Crystal Lake, IL.

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In a professional career that spanned parts of six decades, Henry Woods Bowman (1941 – 2015) was a professor with DePaul University’s School of Public Service, a former state representative, and Cook County’s chief financial officer. He joined DePaul in 1995 and taught until his retirement in 2012. During his time at DePaul, Bowman drafted the first mission statement of the Management of Public Service program, which would become the School of Public Service in 2008. The School of Public Service named its annual lecture in honor of H. Woods Bowman in 2015.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

DePaul University - DePaul Center, 1 East Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, United States