ICYMI: Patricia Cutilletta is this year's Remarkable Woman

Yahoo

01-04-2025

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — She's self-made. She's a giver. And she's a dog lover. But we're not here for the short version. The long version is so much more interesting.
And if you opened up a dictionary and turned to the word 'remarkable,' a picture of Patricia Cutilletta would almost certainly appear.
She spent 35 years in the investment business, after working as an audiologist. She switched her career after being told, 'you're married now, we're going to hire somebody to compete with you.' After getting over that bout of disappointment, she pulled herself up by her bootstraps and became intrigued with the investment business.
The investment business wasn't interested in hiring women at the time, so after being looked over time and time again, she decided to work with women. At that point in time, women were finally beginning to have careers, making money of their own.
They were widowed or divorced, learning to manage their money for the first time. So Cutilletta made the decision to develop her own team of women, being the sole practitioner for 20 years. She took on a young partner shortly after, taking another eight years to take on a third partner.
By the time Cutilletta retired, her team was made up of two other partners and four support staff. 'All female, and all female by choice,' Cutilletta said. The chairman of the firm used to tell Cutilletta the team isn't diverse enough, she said, 'It is what it is.'
For these reasons and so many more, WMBD is proud to recognize Cutilletta as part of Nexstar Media's nationwide initiative to honor influential women across the country.
In the meantime, she also dedicates time to OSF on their board, the OSF Foundation and the Foundation Finance Committee. The Peoria Riverfront Museum also has her heart, as she's on the museum's foundation, which she says is due to her finance background.
And she's been volunteering with the food bank for four and a half years, every week. She's also on their advisory board and the National Development Committee.
Her time giving back hasn't gone without challenges, though. Cutilletta was diagnosed with breast cancer. A day, she said, was the worst of her life. She's had routine mammograms since the age of 40, like clockwork. She's married to a doctor.
'I don't smoke. I don't over drink. I'm not heavy. I eat a good Mediterranean diet. I mean, I do all the things that you're supposed to do. It doesn't make any difference,' said Cutilletta.
It was another routine mammogram that came out funky, needing a diagnostic workup. That's when a stage one tumor was discovered.
Surgery went well, and chemotherapy luckily didn't make her sick. Now, it's been a few weeks since she had her last mammogram and sonogram, which both came out normal, and a second opinion agrees.
But through all her time dedicated to her job, giving back, and fighting cancer, the most important piece of advice she can share with young women looking to lead a life like hers is to persevere. 'I don't care what your career is, you're going to have obstacles. Some of them will be self-made. Some of them will be put in front of you by competitors. Some of them will just happen. And you've got to persevere no matter what you do,' said Cutilletta.
She also acknowledged going for what you want, especially in your career. Stop listening to what others expect of you and lead the life you crave. Cutilletta said, 'Find your way. Don't be afraid to make some mistakes.'
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