HR0259 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0259 LRB104 13121 LAW 25225 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Rosa Escareno on the occasion of her retirement as general superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District in February 2025; and

WHEREAS, Rosa Escareno, a lifelong public servant who worked under five Chicago mayors, is considered a reformer and strategist, leading large-scale agency reforms that support families, strengthen communities, promote economic growth, build income equity, and encourage business opportunities; and

WHEREAS, Rosa Escareno started her lifelong career in public service under Mayor Eugene Sawyer before becoming a budget analyst for the City of Chicago under Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1998, where she conducted program oversight, budgetary analysis, and contract review for nearly $300 million in local, state, and federal grant funds for three years; she then worked as deputy press secretary for three years before running community affairs and media for the City of Chicago Fire Department; she was selected by Mayor Daley as deputy director for the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection in August 2005; after three years, she was promoted to deputy commissioner; she then returned to the Mayor's Office to assist the communications team as deputy press secretary; and

WHEREAS, Rosa Escareno was promoted to deputy chief operating officer when Mayor Rahm Emanuel entered office in 2011; she oversaw day-to-day operations for several government agencies, including the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, the Department of Planning and Development, the Chicago Department of Buildings, the Chicago Department of Public Health, the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, the Chicago Public Library, the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, and the Chicago Animal Care and Control; she was entrusted with overseeing these agencies' fiscal budgets, operations, and performance management, and she was responsible for a nearly $1 billion budget and 2,500 employees; she spearheaded operational efficiencies across city agencies, maximizing resource allocation and advancing the administration's priorities, leading to more efficient and solid government practices; and

WHEREAS, Rosa Escareno was appointed as commissioner for the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection by Mayor Emanuel in 2017; for seven years, she successfully regulated 60,000 businesses in Chicago, including restaurants, bars and taverns, and hotels, and her work included studying general business practices and new emerging economies and markets; she provided oversight of 120,000 public vehicle and chauffeur licenses, including ride-shares, taxis, charters, and liveries, and conducted 20,000 business investigations; she steered city policy, regulatory structure and operations of essential business industries, including hospitality and retail, ride-sharing, and short-term rentals or "house-share" platforms; under her leadership, the department modernized Chicago's marketplace by embracing growth of emerging economies, such as launching Chicago's first electric scooter program, implementing shared-housing reforms to improve community safety, enhancing industry accountability, establishing a transparency requirement for third-party food servicers' food apps to protect consumers, and leveling the playing field for all businesses by bringing app-based practices into compliance; she stepped down as commissioner in July 2021; and

WHEREAS, Rosa Escareno initially joined the Chicago Park District, having been selected by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, as its interim head in October 2021, becoming the park district's permanent head in May 2022; as the general superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District, she managed one of the largest park systems in the country, a nearly $600 million system that includes close to 9,000 acres of parkland, more than 600 parks, 26 miles of lakefront, 11 museums, eight golf courses, seven harbors, two world-class conservatories, and a sports stadium; she oversaw a team of 6,000 year-round, in addition to seasonal workers, providing direct services to nearly 400,000 residents; and

WHEREAS, During her three-year tenure, Rosa Escareno led the Chicago Park District through transformational changes, building a stronger park district while solidifying trust, community well-being, and economic vibrancy; she launched a new strategic plan, strengthened sustainable efforts, set strong hiring practices prioritizing youth, and established new health and wellness policies to improve lives; she led a $500 million economic development portfolio, building new park amenities and maximizing connectivity and technology in all communities to support families, Chicagoans, and visitors who rely on recreational programs and special events; as superintendent, she created the Office of Prevention and Accountability to ensure allegations of wrongdoing were and continue to be properly investigated and to ensure employees were protected, bargaining new agreements with labor partners in the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Trades Coalition; her department also made notable investments in Chicago's youth by establishing operational stability to hire for and revitalize after-school recreational programs, summer day camps, senior programs, and recreational and sport leagues across more than 600 parks and 250 field houses, bringing operations to pre-pandemic levels; additionally, under her direction, hourly wages were increased from $17.00 to $19.75 for thousands of seasonal and summer workers, of whom nearly 80% are young people between the ages of 16 and 24; and

WHEREAS, Rosa Escareno, as superintendent, created the Office of Prevention and Accountability to ensure allegations of wrongdoing were and continue to be properly investigated and to ensure employees were protected, bargaining new agreements with labor partners in the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Trades Coalition; her department also made notable investments in Chicago's youth by establishing operational stability to hire for and revitalize after-school recreational programs, summer day camps, senior programs, and recreational and sport leagues across more than 600 parks and 250 field houses, bringing operations to pre-pandemic levels; additionally, under her direction, hourly wages were increased from $17.00 to $19.75 for thousands of seasonal and summer workers, of whom nearly 80% are young people between the ages of 16 and 24; and

WHEREAS, Rosa Escareno, born in Zacatecas, Mexico, holds a Master of Science in Communications from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola University Chicago; she currently resides on Chicago's Northwest Side, and she is the mother of one son, Mikey; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Rosa Escareno on her retirement as general superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District, and we thank her for her dedication to the residents of the City of Chicago over the course of her 31-year career in public service; and be it further

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