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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.