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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate Maria Bronny
4Ciesla on the occasion of her retirement from her position as
5President of the Polish Museum of America; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Maria Ciesla is in her tenth year as President of
7The Polish Museum of America (PMA), a volunteer position; under
8her leadership, extensive renovations occurred at the PMA,
9including The Paderewski Room, The Stephen and Ann Kusmierczak
10Art Gallery, the new gift shop, the new entry way, and a new
11rare books collection room; fundraising with new and innovative
12methods increased dramatically; membership tripled; increased
13awareness occurred of the PMA, not only as a museum but as a
14source for academic and general research; an increase in the
15number of events and exhibits took place; and she oversaw the
16modernization of the reporting systems; she has continued to
17help the museum by becoming the Treasurer; she and her husband
18are life-members of the PMA; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Maria Ciesla was born in a displaced persons camp
20in Butzbach, Germany; she came to the United States with her
21parents in 1948, and her family first settled in Chicago,
22before moving to west central Illinois; she received her
23Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 1969 from Rosary College (now

 

 

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1Domnican University); she became active in Chicago's
2Polish-American community and has remained so for 47 years; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Maria Ciesla has held offices in organizations
4such as the Chicago Intercollegiate Council and the North
5Edgebrook Civic Association, and she has served on the St. Mary
6of the Woods School Board, on its Parish Council, and as a
7founding member of the St. Mary of the Woods Fine Arts Council;
8she served as President of the St. Mary of the Woods Altar and
9Rosary Society, the Loyola Academy Mother's Club, the Mother's
10Association of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
11the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition - both of the Illinois
12Division and as national President - the Polish American
13Scholarship Fund, the Legion of Young Polish Women, and the
14Polish Women's Civic Club; she is a board member of the Lira
15Ensemble and was a long-time panelist on the Ovarian Cancer
16Panels of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research
17Programs through the Department of Defense; in 1982, she was
18named as an "Outstanding Young Woman of America"; she received
19the Community Service Award from the Council of Educators in
20Polonia and the Northeastern Illinois University Office of
21Alumni Affairs, and she and her husband, Richard, were the 2009
22Award of Merit recipients of the Advocates Society, comprised
23of attorneys of Polish heritage; and
 
24    WHEREAS, Maria Ciesla is also a Life Member of the Polish

 

 

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1Arts Club and a member of the Polish-American Librarians
2Association and the Polish American Historical Association;
3she received the bronze Gloria Artis medal from the Republic of
4Poland for her contributions to the cultural life of the
5Polish-American community; she was honored as one of the 10
62012 Outstanding Women in Non-Profits by the Clerk of the
7Circuit Court of Cook County, and she was honored by the Keep
8On Keeping On Foundation as its Woman of the Year for 2012,
9which raises funds for equipment for physically challenged
10young people; in May of 2012, she received the Commander's
11Cross of the Order of Merit, the highest civilian honor awarded
12from Polish President Boleslaw Komorowski, on his visit to
13Chicago for a NATO Conference; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Maria Ciesla was a piano teacher for 35 years; she
15has been married to Richard Ciesla, who is also active in
16Chicago's Polish-American community, for 46 years; they have 4
17children and 8 grandchildren; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
20congratulate Maria Bronny Ciesla on her retirement as President
21of the Polish Museum of America and wish her the best in all
22her future endeavors; and be it further
 
23    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

 

 

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1presented to Maria Ciesla as an expression of our esteem and
2respect.