SR1276 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1276 LRB103 42654 MST 75887 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Nemer Ziyad, who passed away on September 13, 2024, his 61st birthday; and

WHEREAS, Nemer Ziyad, the eldest son of Ahmad Ziyad, founded Ziyad Brothers Importing with his brother, Ibrahim, and served as the chief executive officer and principal for the company; and

WHEREAS, Ziyad Brothers Importing was founded as a small retail food importing business on the southwest side of Chicago in 1966 but grew into one of the nation's largest distributors of authentic Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food products and ingredients; and

WHEREAS, Ziyad Brothers Importing employs more than 80 people in a 150,000 sq. ft. warehouse and office center located in Cicero, where it distributes more than 1,000 food and food-related products to more than 4,000 ethnic grocery stores and more than 18,000 mainstream retail stores and outlets in 48 states and six countries; and

WHEREAS, Nemer Ziyad, working with his brothers, Nassem and Nazmy, and his cousin, Nezar, was instrumental in directing the national growth of the company, bringing Mediterranean and Middle East food essentials into the homes of every family in America and negotiating the company's purchase by Peak Rock Capitol in 2022; and

WHEREAS, Nemer Ziyad established his reputation not only as a food industry professional and expert but also as an Arab American of Palestinian heritage and served the public in many capacities, including as a former founding board member of the United Trust Bank in Bridgeview and as a supporter of the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF); and

WHEREAS, Nemer Ziyad served on the board of the Chicago International Sister Cities (Amman-Chicago) and was a member of the exclusive International Order of Chefs, Les Aims Escoffier Society; and

WHEREAS, Nemer Ziyad was the recipient of numerous awards, including Man of the Year by the Arab American Democratic Club; and

WHEREAS, Nemer Ziyad's achievements in business and in strengthening the pride in his Arab American community have been unprecedented; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Nemer Ziyad and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Nemer Ziyad's wife, Kathryn, and his daughters, Marissa and Sahra, as an expression of our deepest sympathy.