HR0336 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0336 LRB101 12246 MST 59933 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Chicago Alderman Margaret Laurino on her 25 years of dedicated and outstanding service to the people of the 39th Ward and the City of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, As a lifelong resident of the 39th Ward, Margaret Laurino graduated from St. Edward Elementary School and Alvernia High School in Chicago; she earned a bachelor's degree in education and a master's degree in history from Northeastern Illinois University; and

WHEREAS, The seeds of Margaret Laurino's passion for public service were sown at a young age as she witnessed her father, former Alderman Anthony Laurino, actively and tirelessly serve the citizens of the 39th Ward for over three decades; and

WHEREAS, An ardent supporter of addressing constituents' needs, Margaret Laurino started her career serving in the 39th Ward office and eventually became chief of staff; and

WHEREAS, Following the retirement of her father, former Mayor Richard M. Daley recognized Margaret Laurino's accomplishments and leadership capability and appointed her interim 39th Ward Alderman; and

WHEREAS, In 1995, Margaret Laurino offered to voters her own compelling vision for a thriving 39th Ward; that vision, coupled with her growing reputation as someone who was forward-thinking and driven to achieve positive results, won her the election and five elections thereafter; and

WHEREAS, Throughout her illustrious career, Margaret Laurino focused on addressing the needs integral to the quality of life, including good schools, educational opportunities for all, health and public safety, services for senior citizens, economic growth, capital and infrastructure improvements, constituent access to city services, and government transparency; and

WHEREAS, Margaret Laurino's many citywide initiatives included expanding high speed wireless Internet access to all city residents, banning texting while biking, mandating online ethics and sexual harassment training for city employees, video streaming Chicago City Council meetings, requiring detailed information about each of the city's tax increment finance districts to be posted on the city's website, advancing plans to make the city more accessible to and safer for pedestrians, convening a Food Desert Task Force to ensure that communities of color have access to healthy and nutritious foods, and creating the Aldermanic intern program, which provides college students with a unique work experience and the opportunity to learn city government operations; and

WHEREAS, As a result of Margaret Laurino's leadership, numerous infrastructure and public safety improvements were accomplished; over 300 residential blocks, 100 alleys, and several major arterial streets were repaved or resurfaced; over $6 million in infrastructure improvements were made in Albany Park alone; $12 million was secured from the city's Rainblocker pilot program; a $70 million underground tunnel was constructed to relieve flooding in Albany Park, as well as a new $15 million state-of-the-art 17th District police station; and

WHEREAS, Deeply committed to improving Chicago's Public Schools and providing educational resources to learners of all ages, Margaret Laurino championed increased public school funding, fought tirelessly for infrastructure improvements at area schools, including construction of the buildings for the Haugan Middle School and the Albany Park Multicultural Academy and new annexes at the Volta, Haugan, Sauganash, Hibbard, and Palmer Elementary Schools, and secured the funding for a new $15 million Albany Park library, which opened in 2014; and

WHEREAS, As co-founder of the Peterson-Pulaski Business and Industrial Council, Sauganash Chamber of Commerce, and Pulaski Elston Business Association, Margaret Laurino retained jobs and attracted new employers to the 39th Ward; she regularly used the Small Business Improvement Fund to assist neighborhood businesses in becoming more prosperous; and

WHEREAS, Margaret Laurino partnered with the Heartland Alliance, Swedish Covenant Hospital, and Chicago Public Schools to open health centers at the Albany Park Multicultural Academy and at Roosevelt High School; she secured funding for the construction of a 97-unit apartment building for senior citizens in the Mayfair neighborhood and obtained funding for senior citizen home improvement grants; thanks to her efforts, North Park Village is now home to over 500 seniors; and

WHEREAS, In July 2013, having earned her reputation as an experienced, thoughtful, productive, and fair-minded leader, Margaret Laurino was chosen by her colleagues to serve as president pro tempore of the Chicago City Council; and

WHEREAS, Margaret Laurino has served with distinction on many Chicago City Council committees, including most recently as a member of the Committee on the Budget and Government Operations, Committee on Finance, and Committee on Workforce Development and Audit; she also has overseen the City Council Legislative Reference Bureau; and

WHEREAS, Margaret Laurino has consistently embodied and modeled the highest standards of public service for her staff, colleagues, and constituents: authentic caring, hard work, an ability to forge partnerships for the greater good, a positive focus on the future, and, the capability for taking strategic actions that make a sustainable difference in achieving a better life for all of Chicago's citizens; and

WHEREAS, Over the years, Margaret Laurino earned the respect of her city council colleagues and city staff for her intelligence, her graciousness, and her good humor; in addition to her official duties, she and her team achieved near legendary status as the official party planners of the annual aldermanic holiday party, authoring such memorable scripts such as The Wizard, Bye, Bye Daley, It's a Wonderful Life, and Council Joys; and

WHEREAS, Being alderman of the 39th Ward was Margaret Laurino's dream job, and, without a shadow of a doubt, she clearly gave it her all; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Alderman Margaret Laurino on her many years of exceptional service to the people of Chicago and offer our best wishes for an enjoyable retirement and continued success in all of her future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Margaret Laurino as a symbol of our respect and esteem.