HR0786 LRB095 14066 GRL 39918 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Dr. Terra
4 Thomas, who passed away on October 12, 2007; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Dr. Terra Thomas was born on October 16, 1947 in
6 Easton, Maryland; she attended Morgan State University, where
7 she was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. since
8 1977; she received her doctorate in psychology from Adelphi
9 University; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Dr. Terra Thomas had a long and distinguished
11 career in the medical profession; she began working for Human
12 Resources Development Institute, Inc., an agency that provides
13 behavioral health services, in 1978 as a child psychologist;
14 she became the institute's President and CEO in 2004; she
15 served as an associate faculty member at Northwestern
16 University Medical School's Institute of Psychiatry, where she
17 provided clinical supervision to the institute's staff and
18 graduate students; she also served on the boards of the
19 Illinois Alcoholism & Drug Dependence Association, the
20 Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of Illinois, the
21 International Council of Alcoholism and Addiction, the
22 Governor's Task Force for the Consolidation of the Departments
23 of Substance Abuse and Alcoholism, and the Corporate Council on

 

 

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1 Africa; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Dr. Terra Thomas traveled around the world as a
3 medical consultant; she served as a technical advisor to the
4 Ministry of Health of South Africa; she served as an expert
5 trainer for the United Nations Drug Control Programmes in
6 western Africa and as a trainer in Cultural Competency for
7 various diverse populations; she was a consultant for the
8 presidents of Zambia, Nigeria, Mozambique, and Liberia; she was
9 a representative for the United States Office of Drug Control
10 in Peru; she also served as an expert consultant and trainer to
11 the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the Center for
12 Substance Abuse Prevention in the United States and the Virgin
13 Islands; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Dr. Terra Thomas was a designer and trainer for
15 various HIV/AIDS outreach, prevention, and education models
16 since 1984; she was a co-founder of the AIDS Foundation Chicago
17 and the Midwest Training and Education Center; she was also a
18 founding member of the Illinois AIDS Advisory Board; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Dr. Terra Thomas was an active member of the
20 Apostolic Church of God; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Despite her busy schedule, Dr. Terra Thomas always
22 found time to spend with her family and always supported their

 

 

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1 activities; she was well known as the children's biggest fan;
2 and
 
3     WHEREAS, Dr. Terra Thomas is survived by her sons, Rheaves
4 and Brooks; her brothers, Ronald Thomas, Dwayne Thomas, and
5 Albert Nash; her grandmother, Nellie Leatherberry; her 7 nieces
6 and 2 nephews; her 4 aunts and 3 uncles; and a host of cousins,
7 friends, and associates; therefore, be it
 
8     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
9 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
10 mourn, along with her family and friends, the passing of Dr.
11 Terra Thomas; and be it further
 
12     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13 presented to the family of Dr. Terra Thomas as an expression of
14 our sympathy.