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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 Deborah
4M. Sawyer, who passed away on August 7, 2016 at the age of 60;
5and
 
6    WHEREAS, Deborah Sawyer was the founder, President, and CEO
7of Chicago-based Environmental Design International (EDI); for
8over 25 years, she inspired countless women and minority
9business owners; she broke the glass ceiling for black women in
10the engineering and environmental fields of science; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Deborah Sawyer earned a Bachelor of Arts in
12political science from Emory University and a Master of Science
13in petroleum microbiology from Eastern New Mexico University;
14and
 
15    WHEREAS, Under the leadership of Deborah Sawyer, EDI grew
16to over 70 employees and continues to provide engineering and
17environmental consulting services to governmental agencies and
18Fortune 500 companies, and is a certified Woman and
19Minority-Owned Business Enterprise; and
 
20    WHEREAS, In 2012, Deborah Sawyer was one of five
21entrepreneurs who received the Green Award from Chicago

 

 

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1Magazine after demonstrating that good business sense and
2protecting the environment are not mutually exclusive; she was
3also central in securing EDI's role as Engineer of Record for
4Exelon City Solar, the largest urban solar power plant in the
5United States; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Deborah Sawyer and EDI won and finished a prime
7contract as part of the Illinois Department of Transportation's
8more than $900 million reconstruction project to rebuild and
9widen the local and express lanes on the I-90/94 Dan Ryan
10Expressway in Chicago; EDI provided construction engineering
11and inspection services for the improvements of 5.1 miles of
12I-90/94 northbound local and express lanes from 71st Street to
1331st Street; the construction costs for this segment were more
14than $100 million and it was one of the first major African
15American-only prime engineering contracts for a highway
16project in the United States; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Deborah Sawyer and EDI received many local, State,
18and national awards, including the Illinois Black Chamber of
19Commerce Outstanding Business of the Year Award in 2013, the
20U.S. Small Business Association Minority Small Business of the
21Year Award, the State Farm Phenomenal Woman Award, the Chicago
22Women of Achievement Award, the ACEC-IIlinois Engineers
23Community Service Award, and the Women's Business Enterprise
24National Council Woman-Owned Business Star Award; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Deborah Sawyer showed unwavering commitment to
2service in Chicago; she served on many charitable boards and
3dedicated her free time to the students at the Young Women's
4Leadership Charter School of Chicago, encouraging them to
5pursue studies in science and engineering; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Deborah Sawyer was a friend and neighbor of
7President Barack Obama in the Kenwood-Hyde Park neighborhood;
8she maintained a longtime and close relationship with the
9President; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Deborah Sawyer is survived by her mother, Betty P.
11Sawyer; her sister, Leslie J. Sawyer (Rick Redmon); her
12brother, Dr. William Gregory Sawyer (Dr. Rita Gloria Sawyer);
13and her beloved pets; therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
16express our sorrow at the death of Deborah M. Sawyer and join
17her family and community in mourning the loss of this great
18trailblazer of women in engineering,; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to the family of Deborah Sawyer as an expression of
21our sympathy.