Cory's deep roots in Wisconsin position her as a dedicated advocate for the community. Growing up between Racine and Milwaukee, Cory was influenced by her father, a former Milwaukee firefighter/EMT and chef, and her mother, a successful business owner and non-profit leader, both known for their unwavering commitment and resilience. spending time studying at UWM, Cory took on the role of managing her family’s restaurant, Sebastian’s, which has been a cornerstone of Racine County for 25 years. Her business acumen and financial mindset propelled her into the world of non-profits and community service.

Community service in Racine started in 2015. Sebastian had the opportunity to join the Grants Committee for The Racine Community Foundation (RCF). That certainly took Cory down a rabbit hole.

From there she began volunteering for Visioning a Greater Racine, then to serve on the RCF Board, to the executive committee, to chairing the Community Engagement program, which created the “Shark Tank” Event in 2017 which donated $50,000 to two non-profits specializing in soft skills.

Her love for the YMCA began when researching a grant for RCF, she began working with the Young Leaders Academy, then to serve on the board and eventually Board Chair. During her time with the YMCA one of her biggest accomplishments were the meal programs. When COVID hit in 2020, she along with dedicated community members organized and designed a meal program for students who relied on school lunches. With the team of volunteers, the program was able to serve roughly 20,000 lunches during the school shut down. She was awarded the YMCA Leadership of the Year due this initiative. She has conducted etiquette and career development classes for the YLA program at the George Bray Center. With only logistical experience she co-chaired the YMCA Lighthouse run for four years, after coming from the pandemic. Summer of 2024, she created another meal program at the Bray center, serving nearly 100 meals four nights a week.

She continued her non-profit work serving on boards such as the Women’s Resource Center, Racine United Way, Racine Zoo, Ascension Foundation, serving as Board Chair locally and currently Vice Chair for the Ascension State Foundation.

In local fundraising in the last ten years based on her efforts she has raised over $500,000 for non-profits statewide.

Most recently she has been working with events with the local COP houses, facilitating “Operation Christmas,” as well as “Girls Day.”

She was also awarded “Volunteer of the Year” in the category of Economic development by the Volunteer Center of Racine in 2021.

In 2022 she was awarded the prestigious “40 Under 40” by the Milwaukee Business Journal.

Cory has been the Alderman of THE District 15 since October 2022. She has sat on Department of Public Works, has been Vice Chair of Public Safety and Licensing, and currently serves as Vice Chair of Finance and Personnel and serves on the Community Development Block Grant Committee.

The number one question she is asked? “How do you feel about serving on Common Council?”

Her Response: