Cornelio Obordo Founder, Chicago Nightingales

By: Ryan Tejero

 

There are different kinds of good people in the world –those who follow the norm and do not engage in anything that may disrupt the status quo, those who does more than what is expected when the need arises and there are those who constantly look for opportunities to be of service to others and remain relentless in their search for ways to make a difference.

Cornelio Obordo is one of those people who has made an im – print of goodness in the lives of many. Cornelio, known as Corny to peers, colleagues and friends, is one of the few people who have made a real difference and great influence in the lives of those around him.

Corny is a nurse by profession who came to America in 1969 as an immigrant worker. He completed his Bachelors of Arts in Ateneo de Zamboanga and finished his degree in Nursing from the University of the Philippines, Philippine General Hospital in 1966.

Here in the US, he worked as a staff nurse in the Burn Unit at Cook County Hospital in Chicago in his early years as a budding nurse. His fervent sense of passion for teaching, however, led him to become a Senior Clinical Instructor at Cook County Nursing Department of Education for over thirty years.

Corny is a lifelong learner who never gets tired of learning and sharing what he learned. He took advanced education and completed dual masters in Education and Nursing. He was a professor at the Chicago State University College of Nursing, BSN program, and an adjunct faculty at Oakton Community College, Associates Degree program. He was also a faculty member at Triton College.

Highly respected in the nursing community, Corny has taken active leadership roles and led countless successful initiatives during his time. He is a lifetime member of the Philippine Nurses Association of Illinois and has served as the President in 2001-2003. He was instrumental in the successful implementation of the Philippine Nurses Association of America’s initiatives, such as the Leadership Scholarship Program in his role as the chairperson in the Nomination and Scholarship committees. He also served as a Board of Director of the Illinois Nurses Association and a liaison officer of PNAA, North Central Region.

He has received many accolades and awards in the field of Nursing for his outstanding leadership through the years but he remains humble and grounded at all times. He is an excellent mentor, and a great Kuya Corny to his juniors and a better follower and mentee to those before him. He believes in “giving it your all” when it comes to tasks and responsibilities- it has to be always well done- something the next generation aspires to emulate.

He remains a strong leader to this day. Despite his battles with medical issues he continued to inspire people, with his tenacious passion for giving, sharing and making a difference. Corny won over his chronic renal disease with a successful kidney transplant. He may appear physically weak, but his wisdom is formidable and his desire to move forward and continue the journey of creating a change is admirable.

In 2013, Corny along with 24 strong spirited individuals launched the Chicago Nightingales, a non for profit organization, with a unified vision of making the world a better place. Corny is one of the strong pillars that built the organization from ground up. The Chicago Nightingales’ mantra, “give, love, live” was inspired by the tenacity and perseverance of Florence Nightingale in creating change with compassion and continuous improvement no matter how little, no matter how insignificant, as long as it makes a difference to someone. The organization and its members take pride in their shared vision, making the world a better place, one community at a time. The world is vast, our efforts may not impact a lot of people but as long as we stay true to our vision, even a small dot can be blinding when it shines with purity.

As the Senior Adviser of the Chicago Nightingales, Corny relentlessly worked on getting the organization the recognition it deserves as a recognized non for profit organization in the State of Illinois. The organization was granted its 501c3 status by the IRS and State Tax Exemption mainly through Corny’s efforts. The organization’s website, cnnfp.org was also made possible through his generous donation.

On September 16, 2017, as Corny celebrates his 77th birthday, the officers and members of the board unanimously agreed to dub him the title, “Father of the Chicago Nightingales,” as a lifelong tribute and in recognition of his undying passion for the cause of the organization. An honorary banquet was held in his honor and a trophy of recognition was awarded to Cornelio Obordo, MS, RN as the rightful owner of the title, Father of the Chicago Nightingales.

Cornelio Obordo speaking at the launching of Chicago Nightingales in February 13, 2013 in Drury Lane.

Cornelio Obordo, with Chicago Nightingales’ Immediate Past President, Gemma Esmalla.

Chicago Nightingales volunteering at the Feed My Starving Children. (L-R) Rex Viejon, Cornelio Obordo, Sally Train, Gloria Gagni, Phoebe Doruelo, and Joy Ranchero.