Springfield, IL (WAND) – When Michele Pankow walked into her first firehouse more than three decades ago, she knew by the end of that shift she had found her calling. Now, 32 years later, she is stepping into a new chapter and making history.
Governor JB Pritzker has appointed Pankow as Illinois State Fire Marshal. She is the first woman ever to hold the position.
“It feels strange to say it, but it’s nice for sure,” Pankow said with a smile when asked about her new title.
Pankow’s journey began in 1992 at the Rockford Fire Department. At the time, she was in college and unsure of her career path. But after graduating from the training academy and walking into her first station, she was hooked.
From there, she climbed the ranks — lieutenant, captain, district chief, division chief of operations and in 2021, she became Rockford’s first female fire chief. Along the way, she helped shape emergency response plans, oversaw disaster operations, and earned the American Red Cross Disaster Services Hero Award for her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I never saw my path as the fire chief,” Pankow said. “I thought this (operations chief) is where I’m going to retire. Where else can I go right?”
She says the key to her success has been relationships with firefighters, community leaders, and partner agencies. It’s a priority she plans to carry into her new role.
“It is crystal clear how important relationships are,” she said.
WAND News asked Pankow about the impact she could have on the next generation of young women who want to enter the fire service.
“If you put the time in and you want to do something, you can do it. It may not seem like it as times, and it doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. It doesn’t mean that you’re not going to have challenges, but you have to decide how important it is to you.”
Pankow also credited the support she received from her fellow firefighters throughout her time in Rockford.
