HR0496 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0496 LRB095 11921 GRL 37267 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Barbara Whitney Carr, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Botanic Garden, for her many years of service, on the occasion of her retirement; and

WHEREAS, Barbara Whitney Carr has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Denison University; prior to her tenure at the Chicago Botanic Garden, she worked at the Lincoln Park Zoological Society, where she was President from 1990-1994 and Executive Director from 1975-1989; and

WHEREAS, Barbara Whitney Carr has been President and CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden since 1995; under her direction, attendance at the garden has increased to 760,000 visitors annually, and membership has reached 47,000, the largest membership of any botanic garden in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Carr led a 10-year master development plan which called for the construction and renovation of new gardens, including the Buehler Enabling Garden, Spider Island, the Esplanade and Waterside Terrace, Gardens of the Great Basin, and the restoration of more than three miles of shoreline; other capital projects completed during her tenure include the Botanic Garden Center, the 1.25 mile Garden Wall, the Children's Learning Center, the renovation of the 100,000-square foot Regenstein Center, and the dedication of the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden; and

WHEREAS, She initiated the creation of an Academic Affairs program that offers a Master of Science in plant biology and conservation through a partnership with Northwestern University, a Master of Landscape Architecture through a partnership with the Illinois Institute of Technology, and a bachelor's degree in horticulture from the University of Illinois-Champaign; she was instrumental in fostering a partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to preserve seeds of North American prairie flora and has launched a major science initiative including collaborations with leading institutions and the National Science Foundation that will have global impact; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Carr oversees one of America's preeminent public gardens that was the winner of Horticulture Magazine's 2006 Award for Garden Excellence, honoring the public garden that best exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and techniques; she is this year's recipient of the American Public Gardens Association's most prestigious award, the 2007 Award of Merit, which recognizes an individual who has performed with distinction in the field of public horticulture; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Carr is a member of the American Association of Museums, the American Public Gardens Association, The Chicago Network, The Economic Club of Chicago, The Commercial Club of Chicago, and the Chicago Region Biodiversity Council; she is on the Board of Directors of Ox-Bow (the Summer School of The Art Institute of Chicago), Chicago Wilderness Magazine, Lake Forest Open Lands Association, and Lake Forest College, and has served on the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission and The Lincoln Academy of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Barbara Whitney Carr on her retirement, thank her for her many years of service to the citizens of Illinois, and wish her a happy and fulfilling retirement; and be it further

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