SR0825 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0825 LRB104 22138 ECR 38345 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the deaths of Matthew Alan "Matt" Siemer and Alicia Jean "A.J." Barks of Chicago, who passed away on December 13, 2025 and December 20, 2025, respectively; and

WHEREAS, Matt Siemer was born to Mark A. and Pamela R. (Helvey) Siemer on October 29, 1982, and A.J. Barks was born to Melvin and Jean Gerler Barks on August 31, 1983; and

WHEREAS, Matt Siemer, who believed deeply that health care should be rooted in compassion, dignity, and trust, served Mobile Care Chicago for 13 years, including nine years as executive director; he led the nonprofit organization in its mission to deliver free, comprehensive health care directly to children and families in underserved communities across Chicagoland through mobile medical and dental clinics; and

WHEREAS, Under Matt Siemer's leadership, Mobile Care Chicago significantly expanded its reach and impact across the region; before he became executive director, the organization served just over 2,500 children in 2015, but by 2025, the nonprofit had grown to aiding more than 8,000 children across Chicagoland, with many receiving care multiple times throughout the year, reflecting obtainment by patients in consistent treatments and follow-up care; and

WHEREAS, Matt Siemer also envisioned a broader future for mobile health care, developing the concept of the Mobile Community Health Incubator, a collaborative initiative designed to help nonprofit organizations launch and sustain mobile clinics by sharing infrastructure, knowledge, and operational support; through his concept, the Incubator's Community Dispatch, Mobile Care Chicago now supports partner organizations working to expand access to mobile health care across Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Through his leadership, compassion, and commitment to service, Matt Siemer helped transform the lives of thousands of children and families across Chicagoland, and his legacy will live on in the improved health of the children served by Mobile Care Chicago and in the growing movement to ensure that high-quality health care be accessible to every child, regardless of where they live; and

WHEREAS, A.J. Barks worked for Chicago Women's Health Center (CWHC), a feminist health collective founded in 1975 that provides health care and health education to women, trans individuals, and young people in a respectful environment where people pay what they can afford; she began as a volunteer in 2012, answering front desk phone calls and welcoming clients with a smile; she proceeded to lead fundraising initiatives as development director, expanding support for each of the collective's programs and staff; she ultimately served as interim executive director from August 2022 through November 2025, and she had recently transitioned into a co-executive director role at the time of her passing; and

WHEREAS, A.J. Barks initiated invaluable partnerships on behalf of CWHC that continue to support program sustainability and growth, including the Illinois Association of Free and Charitable Clinics and the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago; in her time as interim executive director, CWHC's average in clients seen per year grew from 5,300 to 6,500; under her guidance, the majority of CWHC clients were from low-income backgrounds and members of queer and gender-expansive communities; her leadership strengthened CWHC's ability to provide a variety of services on a sliding scale and/or at no cost, and the collective continues to uphold her commitment to meeting clients' needs and to decreasing barriers to health care and education; and

WHEREAS, A.J. Barks showed deep commitment to relationships and knew them to be the foundation of a feminist community; she held a brilliant balance of minding everyday details while guiding long-term, large-scale projects; she reminded CWHC's community that, with a plan, people working together can make anything happen, and so much of CWHC's work has evolved due to her leadership, vision, care, and creativity; and

WHEREAS, Matt Siemer and A.J. Barks were loving partners whose shared passion for and dedication to helping the underserved will not soon be forgotten; and

WHEREAS, Matt Siemer and A.J. Barks were preceded in death by his grandparents, Gregory A. and Ann C. (O'Gorman) Siemer and John and Barbara (Boettcher) Helvey, and her grandparents, Pirl C. and Opal F. Fadler Barks and Albert N. and Zadie B. Gamble Gerler; and

WHEREAS, Matt Siemer and A.J. Barks are survived by his parents; her parents; his siblings, Maggie, Missy, and Marcia; her siblings, Shelly and Blake (Alathea); many extended family members, including nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, and cousins; countless friends; and their dogs, Korra and Opal; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Matthew Alan "Matt" Siemer and Alicia Jean "A.J." Barks and extend our sincere condolences to their families, friends, and all who knew and loved them; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the families of Matt Siemer and A.J. Barks as an expression of our deepest sympathy.