HR0435LRB098 12312 MST 46581 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, President Obama recently nominated Penny Pritzker
3to his cabinet for the position of U.S. Secretary of Commerce;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, In his nomination address, President Obama
6praised Penny Pritzker as one of our country's most
7distinguished business leaders, stating that she knows from
8experience that no government program alone can take the place
9of a great entrepreneur; he further stated that she understands
10that just as great companies strengthen the community around
11them, strong communities and skilled workers also help
12companies thrive; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Penny Pritzker is an extraordinary civic and
14business leader who has more than 25 years of management
15experience in industries including real estate, finance, and
16hospitality; and
 
17    WHEREAS, President Obama previously appointed Penny
18Pritzker to the President's Council for Jobs and
19Competitiveness, which advises the administration on economic
20growth and job creation; she also served on the President's
21Economic Recovery Board to advise the administration on
22rebuilding the economy after the national recession; and
 

 

 

HR0435- 2 -LRB098 12312 MST 46581 r

1    WHEREAS, Penny Pritzker is a board member of the Council on
2Foreign Relations to help contribute ideas to U.S. foreign
3policy based on global trends; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Penny Pritzker focused much of her civic work on
5public education; she is the advisory board chairman of Skills
6for America's Future, which brings together businesses and
7community colleges to create greater opportunities for
8students and prepare workers for 21st century jobs; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Penny Pritzker is the past chair of the Chicago
10Public Education Fund to raise private equity funds to invest
11in public schools; and
 
12    WHEREAS, As co-founder and co-director of The Pritzker
13Traubert Family Foundation, Penny Pritzker worked to fund
14innovative initiatives in the City of Chicago to strengthen
15school leadership and improve public education, especially for
16children in impoverished communities; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Penny Pritzker, in an effort to empower young
18women, was a founding board member of the Young Women's
19Leadership Charter School which seeks to ensure that young
20women have the skills, tools, and opportunities to develop as
21ethical leaders shaping their lives and the world; and
 

 

 

HR0435- 3 -LRB098 12312 MST 46581 r

1    WHEREAS, Penny Pritzker earned a bachelor of arts in
2economics at Harvard University, where she also enrolled in
3fine arts courses and developed a passion and appreciation for
4the history of art and architecture; she is the former chairman
5of the board of the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art and
6currently serves as a trustee for the John F. Kennedy Center
7for the Performing Arts, and is a newly elected member of the
8American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Penny Pritzker earned her juris doctor and masters
10in business administration at Stanford University, where she
11trained for and ran the Ironman Triathlon; she serves on the
12board of trustees at Stanford University, a world-class
13research and teaching institution; and
 
14    WHEREAS, After completing her education, Penny Pritzker
15entered the family business and paved the way for women both in
16her family and in the business world; having founded 5
17businesses during her career, she has continued to give back to
18the community; a devoted wife and mother of 2 children, she is
19a Chicago native who has devoted her career to giving back to
20the community; she maintains that throughout all of her success
21in business, she is most proud of her philanthropic efforts and
22relationship with her family; therefore, be it
 

 

 

HR0435- 4 -LRB098 12312 MST 46581 r

1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3we commend Penny Pritzker for her selfless efforts in improving
4the lives of others and congratulate her on her nomination for
5the position of U.S. Secretary of Commerce; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to Penny Pritzker as an expression of our esteem and
8respect.