HR0993 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0993 LRB096 21521 GRL 38302 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor accomplishments in the lives of citizens of the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Aurie A. Pennick, a devoted philanthropist and advocate for equality, has won the Civic Engagement, Community Service and Community Organizing Award from the University of Illinois at Chicago's Gender and Women's Studies Program; and

WHEREAS, Aurie Pennick designed and implemented a multi-million dollar grant program for small and emerging community organizations as the Assistant Director for Special Grants with the MacArthur Foundation; and

WHEREAS, Aurie Pennick is an activist in the non-profit sector, leading several organizations such as the Greenhouse Shelter, the first battered women's shelter in the area; and

WHEREAS, Aurie Pennick has taught at Spertus University and the University of Pennsylvania; she co-authored an article on affordable housing in the book New Chicago; she was also invited by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to be a panelist at the national conference in observance of the 40th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act; and

WHEREAS, From 1992 to 2002, Aurie Pennick served as the president and CEO of the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Opportunities, the only fair housing organization in the nation founded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and

WHEREAS, Aurie Pennick currently serves as the Executive Director and Treasurer of the Field Foundation of Illinois, Inc., and is responsible for the oversight of approximately $60 million in foundation assets; and

WHEREAS, Aurie Pennick has been the recipient of numerous awards, such as the Human Relations Award and the Handy Lindsey Jr. Award; she was appointed to the Chicago Police Board by Mayor Harold Washington and to the Official U.S. Delegation for the Habitat II Global Conference on Cities in Istanbul, Turkey; she was also awarded an Aspen Institute and took part in a Lecture on Inclusiveness in Philanthropy; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Aurie A. Pennick for winning the Civic Engagement, Community Service and Community Organizing Award from the University of Illinois at Chicago's Gender and Women's Studies Program and wish her continued success in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Aurie Pennick and the University of Illinois at Chicago's Gender and Women's Studies Program as a symbol of our affection, gratitude, and respect.