SR0983 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0983 LRB103 40602 LAW 73238 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to congratulate Sylvia Marie Johnson Jones, Ed.D. on the occasion of her retirement as executive director of the Career and Job Placement Center at the College of Lake County; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Johnson Jones is an educator, a leader, a mentor, a certified career coach, and a philanthropist; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Johnson Jones earned her Bachelor of Science in Healthcare from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, her Master of Arts in Human Resource Development from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, and her Doctor of Education from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and

WHEREAS, Prior to joining the education sector, Dr. Johnson Jones was employed in various positions, including management at the Lake County Health Department from 2001 to 2004; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Johnson Jones initially joined the College of Lake County as director of Career Services in 2004, a position she held until 2007, before serving as an adjunct faculty member from 2007 to 2008; she became executive director of the Career and Job Placement Center in 2007, where she served until her retirement; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Johnson Jones has had a 30-year career in workforce development education and training; she has presented on various workforce and education topics at local, regional, and national conferences; she has also been published in a book that covers narratives on modeling, mentoring, and other mothering; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Johnson Jones is the founder and CEO of the SMJ Scholarship Fund and Shining Stars, which she established in 2009; she has raised $40,000 in scholarships for North Chicago Community High School seniors aspiring to further their education; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Johnson Jones has further contributed to her community through serving as vice president of the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center, vice president of North Chicago Community Unit School District 187, and president of the Waukegan Township Coalition to Reduce Recidivism; she is also a life member of the NAACP Lake County Branch, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and a member of nonprofit The Links, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Johnson Jones has been the recipient of various awards, including the Most Influential African American Educational Award, the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award from the College of Lake County, the Unity Values Recognition Award from the College of Lake County, the Women's History Month of Lake County Award by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dreamers Award by the Waukegan Township; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Johnson Jones is known as an advocate for the underserved and underprivileged, and she remains dedicated to giving back to the Lake County community; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Sylvia Marie Johnson Jones, Ed.D. on her retirement as executive director of the Career and Job Placement Center at the College of Lake County; and be it further

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