093_HR0281
LRB093 11726 HSS 15507 r
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of
3 the State of Illinois wish to congratulate Jess McDonald on
4 the occasion of his retirement as the Director of Children
5 and Family Services after 9 years of service; and
6 WHEREAS, Mr. McDonald was appointed Director of Children
7 and Family Services by Governor George Ryan and has served
8 continuously since June 2, 1994; as Director, Mr. McDonald
9 was responsible for overseeing the activities of a $1.3
10 billion cabinet level child welfare agency serving 32,000
11 children; and
12 WHEREAS, Mr. McDonald has served as a DCFS caseworker,
13 legislative analyst for the Appropriations and Human
14 Resources Committee of the Illinois House of Representatives,
15 Executive Deputy Director of DCFS, chief of the Health and
16 Social Services Division in the Illinois Bureau of the
17 Budget, and the Governor's Assistant for Human Services; he
18 served as Executive Director for the Illinois Association of
19 Community Mental Health Agencies from January 1991 to March
20 1992; in March of 1992, Governor Edgar named Mr. McDonald the
21 Director of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities to
22 spearhead major reforms at that agency, and he held that
23 position until he became Director of DCFS; and
24 WHEREAS, Under Director McDonald's leadership, the
25 Illinois DCFS received several accolades including the
26 Adoption 2002 Excellence Award in Increased Adoptions by the
27 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for 1998 and
28 1999; accredited agency status from the Council on
29 Accreditation for Children and Family Services in 2000; the
30 Innovations in American Government Award for performance
31 contracting in child welfare, sponsored by Harvard University
32 and the Ford Foundation; and it was named State Agency of the
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1 Year by the National Foster Parent Association in 1998; and
2 WHEREAS, Mr. McDonald holds a bachelor's degree from
3 Illinois State University, a master's degree from the
4 University of Chicago School of Social Service
5 Administration, and he participated in Harvard University's
6 John F. Kennedy School of Government Program for Senior
7 Executives in State and Local Government; and
8 WHEREAS, Mr. McDonald is a member of several professional
9 organizations including the Executive Committee of the
10 National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators,
11 chair of the Child and Family Services Committee of the
12 American Public Human Services Association, and the Board of
13 the Council on Social Work Education; he had previously
14 served as the co-chair of the American Public Human Services
15 Association Child Welfare Financing Workgroup and served on
16 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National
17 Consultation Workgroup on Child Welfare Outcome Measures; and
18 WHEREAS, Mr. McDonald valiantly served his country in the
19 U.S. Army from 1964 until 1966 with a tour in Vietnam from
20 1965 to 1966; and
21 WHEREAS, Mr. McDonald is the recipient of numerous
22 individual awards including the Citizen of the Year Award
23 from the National Association of Social Workers Illinois
24 Chapter Southern Illinois District in 2002; the University of
25 Chicago Professional Achievement Citation in 1999; the
26 Service and Recognition Award for Outstanding Service to
27 Foster Parents in Illinois from the National Foster Parent
28 Association, Inc. in 1998; the Social Worker of the Year
29 Award from the Springfield Illinois Chapter of the National
30 Association of Social Workers in 1998; the Motorola Award for
31 Excellence in Public Services in 1997; and the Award of
32 Excellence in Public Child Welfare Administration from the
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1 National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators
2 in 1996; therefore, be it
3 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5 we commend Director Jess McDonald on his hard work and
6 dedication to the children of Illinois and congratulate him
7 on the occasion of his retirement after nine years of service
8 as the Director of Children and Family Services; and be it
9 further
10 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
11 presented to Jess McDonald as a token of our respect and
12 esteem and with best wishes for his future endeavors.