Please join us as we welcome Photine Liakos MD, Sycamore representative, to the DeKalb County Community Foundation Board of Directors. 

Photine was born in Athens, Greece. Her parents moved to DeKalb to teach art history at Northern Illinois University when she was a child. Photine grew up in DeKalb and graduated from DeKalb High School. She received her undergraduate and medical school degrees from Washington University in St. Louis. Photine completed her orthopaedic surgery residency and fellowship at the same institution. She returned to the DeKalb County area in 1998 after accepting a position as an orthopaedic surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedic Institute. Photine retired from her practice in 2016 to assist in caring for her aging parents. She has previously served on the Family Service Agency Foundation Board, the DeKalb County Board of Health, the Kishwaukee Hospital Board, and the YMCA Board. She and five DeKalb High School classmates founded a scholarship through the Community Foundation to honor their former English teachers and support creative writing students at DeKalb High School.

Photine is a volunteer at the Tri-City Health Partnership free medical clinic in St. Charles. In her spare time, she is an avid reader, particularly enjoying the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, having been an enthusiastic fan of his writing since childhood. She enjoys writing and has had several essays published in local magazines and online journals.

Photine, her husband, and two children currently live in Sycamore.

“I represent the Sycamore community. I love the connections in Sycamore—it is a vibrant, growing community, and I am proud to live here. I look forward to learning more about the Board’s initiatives, and I am especially looking forward to working with grants and community needs.”

The Community Foundation Board of Directors are selected to represent communities throughout DeKalb County. The Board sets policy, formulates strategic planning, and determines priorities in grantmaking. Because of the willingness of these able, effective individuals who donate their time and talents to the ultimate betterment of DeKalb County, the Foundation continues to grow to enhance the quality of life for its citizens.