Maria Pappas, "Maria the Pappas"

ABOUT THE BOOK: Maria the Pappas is an autobiographical portrait of Maria Pappas that explains not simply what she has done, but why she became the person she is. The memoir presents Pappas as a collection of apparent contradictions: a hard-driving politician and deeply emotional helper; a government reformer and flamboyant public personality; a Cretan Greek from West Virginia who became a fixture of Chicago politics; and a woman comfortable confronting powerful politicians while also spending enormous amounts of time with ordinary taxpayers, immigrants, clergy, community activists and people experiencing hardship. Pappas describes herself as bold, direct and authentic, but says the fundamental values underneath that personality are faith, honesty, loyalty and service. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Maria Pappas is Treasurer of Cook County, Illinois, a post she has held since 1998. She was elected to a seventh four-year term in November of 2022.Pappas has remade the Office of Treasurer for Cook County, the world’s 16th largest government, into a vibrant, service-oriented office that develops and uses the latest technological tools for greater efficiency and economy.A lawyer with a degree in counseling psychology, her organizational and management skills have drawn the attention of foreign governments that have asked for her help with projects.