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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Vanessa
4Ann Rich of Chicago, who passed away on December 27, 2015 at
5the age of 64; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Vanessa Rich served as the City of Chicago Deputy
7Commissioner for the Department of Family and Support Services;
8and
 
9    WHEREAS, Vanessa Rich had a long and dedicated career with
10the National Head Start Association (NHSA); she joined Head
11Start in 1965 as a youth volunteer in the first summer program
12offered in Rock Island District 41; she taught in the Rock
13Island Head Start program; in 1972, she became the teacher and
14director for Galesburg's Head Start Operation for Pre-School
15Education (HOPE), a one-classroom, 30-student program; in
161974, she joined Head Start Directors from around the country
17at the first National Head Start directors meeting in Chicago,
18where she became a member of several organizational committees,
19including Conference and By-laws; she later became President of
20the Illinois Directors Association and represented Illinois on
21the Directors Board; in the early 1980s, she moved to Chicago
22after her one-room program had developed into a multi-county
23program, serving over 200 families; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, While in Chicago, Vanessa Rich joined the Training
2and Technical Assistance provider for Region V CSR,
3Incorporated; she served as Lead Consultant and Director for 4
4years; in the late 1980s, she took a position with City
5Colleges of Chicago as Dean of Adult Learning and continued to
6serve Head Start at State, regional, and national levels; she
7continued to work and serve on numerous Association committees
8and boards; she served as President of Center Circle, Inc. and
9provided training, technical assistance, and support to
10programs in all 50 states and territories; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Throughout her career, Vanessa Rich worked in many
12positions with many organizations and received numerous
13accolades, including 1979 International Year of the Child -
14Carter Administration; Department of Health Education and
15Welfare Policy Caucus (1977) Jim Robinson; NHSA Head Start
16Performance Standard Committee (1995); International
17Association of Business Communicators Golden Quill Award for
18Multilingual Communication - Head Start Increasing Latino
19Enrollment (2005 & 2006); Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Community
20Involvement Award (2011); served as a Head Start reviewer;
21Chicago Association for Education of Young Children - Head
22Start representative; Illinois Association for Education of
23Young Children - Head Start representative; Chicago Coalition
24of Site Administered Child Care Program for outstanding

 

 

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1commitment to improving the quality of child care in Chicago;
2Children's Defense Fund Advisory Board; National Head Start
3Academy Instructor; Director Illinois Downstate Coordinated
4Campaign for Clinton/Braun; County Liaison for Obama for Senate
5Committee; Legislative Committee NHSA Parent Affiliate
6Organizing Committee (1974); Region V Outstanding Head Start
7Director; City College Woman of the Year; Illinois Head Start
8Association Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award;
9Illinois Head Start Association Silver Anniversary Service
10Award; board member for Illinois Head Start Association,
11Friends Association, and Directors Association; board member
12Region V Association; past President Illinois Director
13Association; keynote National Parent Association; Early
14Learning Council (Governor Appointee); Illinois Child Care
15Advisory Council (Governor Appointee); Day Care Action Council -
16 Head Start representative; Illinois Health System Agency -
17Head Start representative; provided testimony for Illinois
18General Assembly; provided testimony for Knox County Board of
19Supervisors; member of the President Clinton Crime Commission
20Summit; NHSA Strategic Planning Committee; NHSA Monitoring
21Task Force; NHSA Champions of Change; Illinois Race to the Top
22Ad Hoc Planning Committee; NHSA Government Affairs Committee;
23NHSA Performance Standards Committee; convened and sponsored
24the Head Start Policy Project; and
 
25    WHEREAS, Vanessa Rich was the beloved mother of Seth Justin

 

 

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1Rich (Veronica) and Vyctoria Jamie Kranz (Gregory); the loving
2sister of Richard Hudson (Aloyce), Ronald Hudson (Ree), and
3Crystal Hudson-Jones (Keith); the proud grandmother of Alecia,
4Brittney, Maritza, James, Zachary, Seth Xavier, Isaiah, and one
5great-grandchild, Edwin; the aunt to many nieces and nephews;
6and friend to all; therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
8NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
9mourn the passing of Vanessa Ann Rich, and extend our sincere
10condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved
11her; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13presented to the family of Vanessa Rich as an expression of our
14deepest sympathy.