HR1047 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1047 LRB102 29897 ECR 42071 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor our esteemed colleague, Representative LaToya Greenwood, on her more than five years as a member of the Illinois General Assembly and thank her for her dedicated service to her State and her community; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Greenwood was born and raised in East St. Louis, where she still resides and is a mother of one son, Nicolas, who attends Loyola University; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Greenwood earned her bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University; she furthered her education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she received her master's degree in Public Administration and Policy; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Greenwood is a proud member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the oldest African American Greek letter organization for college educated women who have committed themselves to helping the lives of citizens in their local communities and around the world through education, health, finances, art and culture, and global service; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Greenwood's passion and devotion to her community inspired her to return to East. St. Louis after college to make a difference as a public servant, and she served as a councilwoman of the City of East St. Louis before running for state representative; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Greenwood has been a passionate advocate for the residents of the Metro East area by supporting bills addressing issues of concern for her constituents, including social justice, equity and opportunity, job creation, economic growth, education funding, and improving wages for working families; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Greenwood served as chairwoman of the Health Care Availability & Access Committee and championed landmark legislation focusing on reproductive rights, maternal and infant mortality, and access to quality and affordable health care; she also served as the vice-chairwoman of the Agriculture & Conservation Committee; and

WHEREAS, After the tragic deaths of George Floyd and other members of the Black community, Rep. Greenwood and the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus worked to dismantle systemic racism in the State by passing long overdue reform in criminal justice, education and workforce development, economic access, equity and opportunity, and health care and human services; and

WHEREAS, With a continued focus on improving health care availability and access, Rep. Greenwood was integral in the passage of the historic Black Caucus Health Care and Human Services Pillar, which created equity-driven health care reform legislation that addressed the black maternal mortality crisis in Illinois by requiring implicit bias training for hospital staff and ensuring perinatal doula services and evidence-based home visiting services be covered under the medical assistance program for persons who are otherwise eligible for medical assistance; and

WHEREAS, In the 102nd General Assembly, Rep. Greenwood was appointed to the leadership position of Majority Conference Chair by Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch in recognition of her leadership, strong bipartisan relationships, and track record of advancing legislation that uplifts women and disadvantaged communities; and

WHEREAS, Always mindful of the disadvantaged within her community, Rep. Greenwood hosted multiple charitable drives through her district office to provide clothing, food, hygiene products, and other essential items to those in need and hosted community shred days, job fairs, and community safety events; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Greenwood has been recognized by several advocacy organizations for her legislative initiatives, including being named the 2022 Community Health Center Champion Award by the Illinois Primary Health Care Association for her leadership in creating equity and access to quality health care for all Illinoisans; she has also been recognized as a friend of agriculture; and

WHEREAS, All who had the honor to serve alongside Rep. Greenwood will miss her bright attitude, warm friendship, and unwavering commitment to bringing people together for the betterment of our State; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Representative LaToya Greenwood on her achievements and thank her for her years of dedicated service to the State of Illinois and her community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Rep. Greenwood as an expression of our respect and esteem.