CHICAGO, IL, June 20, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Dr. Heidi A. Truax has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Dr. Truax has dedicated her career to transforming the landscape of school counseling and postsecondary advising within Chicago Public Schools. Since 2020, she has served as the executive director of school counseling and postsecondary advising, leading one of the most comprehensive overhauls of school counseling services in CPS in over 20 years. In this role, she oversees a robust team of 60 professionals, including four directors with specialized areas of focus, as well as over 800 school counselors and 100 postsecondary coaches. Dr. Truax's strategic leadership encompasses district-wide policy development, budget planning and collaborative partnerships with city agencies and higher education institutions to dismantle systemic barriers to student success.

Dr. Truax's work is firmly rooted in the nationally recognized ASCA model, promoting proactive, data-informed counseling practices that address academic, social-emotional and postsecondary readiness. Among her most notable achievements is the district-wide improvement of counselor-to-student ratios, reducing high school ratios from 1:545 to 1:247, surpassing national recommendations and dramatically improving access at the elementary level.

Prior to her current executive role, Dr. Truax held counseling positions at the Simpson Academy for Young Women from 2018 to 2020, the Marine Leadership Academy between 2016 and 2018 and Chicago Academy High School from 2012 to 2016, where she also served as a REACH Framework Specialist. Dr. Truax's early career includes foundational roles as a guidance counselor assistant, adjunct instructor and program coordinator across various organizations. From 2017 to 2021 Dr. Truax also served Roosevelt University as the sole Clinical Assistant Professor of School Counseling where she redesigned the Master of Arts in School Counseling program.

Dr. Truax's academic journey began with a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Southern Oregon University, graduating in 2005, followed by a master's degree in women's and gender studies from Roosevelt University in 2009. She went on to earn a master's degree in counselor education, school counseling and guidance services from Concordia University Chicago in 2013 and a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Adler University in 2018. Additionally, Dr. Truax holds certifications as an ASCA-certified model trainer from the American School Counseling Association and as a licensed professional counselor in Illinois.

As a commitment to her field, Dr. Truax is actively involved with several industry-related organizations, including serving in various board roles for the Illinois School Counselor Association from 2017 to 2021, being a member of the University of Chicago's Center for Effective Government Leadership Cohort, and a Cambiar Catalyst Fellow. She is also a member of the American Counseling Association, the Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling and the Association of Counselor Educators & Supervisors, among others.

Dr. Truax's dedication to social justice is evident through her numerous awards and recognitions. She was named Illinois School Counselor of the Year by the Illinois School Counselor Association in 2020 and received the Toni Tollerud Counselor Educator of the Year award in 2019. Dr. Truax's earlier accolades include an honorable mention for the Ray Piagentini High School Counselor of the Year award in 2017 and several awards recognizing her contributions to data-driven counseling and social justice initiatives. Dr. Truax's leadership as the Executive Director for the Office of School Counseling and Postsecondary Advising earned her district team the Power of Hope award for excellence from the National Postsecondary Strategy Institute and Michelle Obama's Reach Higher Campaign in 2022.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Dr. Truax is deeply committed to civic engagement. She volunteers with Rebuilding Together and has served as a staff mentor for the Gay Straight Alliance from 2009 to 2020. Her advocacy work includes roles as an education specialist for Teen Living Programs and as a sexual assault victims advocate for Community Works.

Looking ahead, Dr. Truax remains focused on advancing her visionary goals for Chicago Public Schools. She aims to create joyous, rigorous and equitable environments that promote postsecondary success for all students. By increasing access to trained professionals across schools and fostering strong partnerships with universities, she seeks to improve college enrollment rates and ensure students not only enter higher education but also complete their degrees successfully.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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