HR0646 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0646 LRB096 14744 GRL 29779 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Kevin J. Bell on the occasion of being named to serve as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums; and

WHEREAS, Kevin Bell is a New York native who was literally raised on the grounds of the world-famous Bronx Zoo; his family's house was located behind the reptile house, where they lived while his father served as the zoo's curator of birds; and

WHEREAS, Being raised in a culture of deep commitment to wildlife, Kevin Bell has devoted his entire life to conservation; in 1976, at the age of 23, he was hired to serve as Lincoln Park Zoo's curator of birds, making him the youngest curator in the zoo's history; in 1993, he was selected to serve as the zoo's director; and

WHEREAS, At Lincoln Park Zoo, Kevin Bell was instrumental in leading the zoo's $125 million capital campaign, which created new, state-of-the-art, award-winning animal habitats and developed an endowment to secure the zoo for future generations; during his tenure, he has overseen the creation of one of the leading zoo-based conservation and science programs in the country, with ongoing conservation efforts locally and around the world; his most recent undertaking, "Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo", is slated to open in the spring of 2010; the Nature Boardwalk is a $12 million ecological pond restoration effort designed to create a natural ecosystem in the middle of a city where people can immerse themselves in nature; and

WHEREAS, Kevin Bell currently serves as President and CEO of Lincoln Park Zoo and is an active leader within the AZA community; his fellow zoo directors, conservationists, scientists, and other AZA professional members first voted for him to serve on the AZA Board of Directors in 1999; he was then elected to the position of Chair by the AZA membership, which is comprised of 6,000 members representing 217 accredited zoos and aquariums; as Chair, he will lead the 13-member Board of Directors for one year and will be involved in every aspect of the national organization, including strategic planning, accreditation, ethics, animal welfare, and conservation; and

WHEREAS, The AZA's many accredited zoos and aquariums will undoubtedly benefit from Kevin's extensive experience and strong leadership; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Kevin J. Bell on the occasion of being named to serve as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and wish him continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Kevin Bell as a symbol of our esteem and respect.