HR0156 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0156 LRB103 31391 LAW 59016 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to commend Alderperson Leslie A. Hairston on her service to the 5th Ward as a member of the Chicago City Council; and

WHEREAS, Ald. Hairston is a Chicago native, having grown up in the communities of 5th Ward's Hyde Park and South Shore; she is the daughter of Reva Hairston, a Chicago Public Schools educator for 43 years, and the late Lester Hairston, the owner of the once popular Avenue Lounge and Chicago's first African-American owner and operator of a McDonald's restaurant; she graduated from the University of Wisconsin and Loyola University School of Law; and

WHEREAS, Prior to being elected, Ald. Hairston worked as an attorney in private practice; she formerly served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Illinois in Springfield; she handled litigation as a staff attorney and special prosecutor for the Illinois Office of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, where she argued before the Illinois Supreme Court; and

WHEREAS, Ald. Hairston has represented the 5th Ward on the Chicago City Council for 24 years, first being elected in 1999 and reelected in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019; since taking office, she has been instrumental in spearheading infrastructure improvements, business development, and initiatives to enhance 5th Ward residents' safety, security, and quality of life; and

WHEREAS, Ald. Hairston has accrued several accomplishments during her tenure, including the $162 million reconstruction of South Lake Shore Drive, the repair and enhancement of Metra stations and grounds, renovations to Jackson Park and the South Shore Cultural Center, improvements to residential and commercial streets and lighting, the beautification of business districts, and the opening of new shopping malls and addition of several local and national retailers, including K&G Fashion Superstore, Anna's Linens, Staples, Aldi, Jewel-Osco, Save-A-Lot, and Chicago's first drive-through Starbucks; and

WHEREAS, Ald. Hairston has additionally been involved with initiating ordinances, increasing police presence, and the construction of several buildings, including the Greater Grand Crossing Library, the Gary Comer Youth Center, the Comer Children's Hospital, and a Ronald McDonald House in addition to the preservation of historically significant buildings through renovation for multiuse; and

WHEREAS, Ald. Hairston has served as a vice chair on the Chicago City Council's Committee on Finance and several joint committees; she has also served as a member of the Committee on Aviation, the Committee on Budget and Government Operations, the Committee on Committees and Rules, and several joint committees; and

WHEREAS, Ald. Hairston has belonged to a several community organizations and causes, including the South Shore Cultural Center Advisory Council, the Jackson Park Advisory Council, the O'Keeffe Area Council, and Friends of the Parks; she is a past member of the McFarland Mental Health Center with the Illinois Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and a former beat facilitator for the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS); she currently serves as a board member of Kaleidoscope, Inc. and is an active member of the Illinois State Bar Association and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, Ald. Hairston looks forward to starting the next chapter of her life while remaining active, engaged, and committed to making her community better; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Alderperson Leslie A. Hairston for her work on the Chicago City Council, and we thank her for her years of dedicated service to the people of the 5th Ward and the City of Chicago; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Ald. Hairston as an expression of our esteem and respect.