Full Text of HR1584 095th General Assembly
HR1584 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 |
| Representatives are pleased to congratulate Merri Dee, | 4 |
| director of community relations and manager of WGN-TV | 5 |
| Children's Charities, on her retirement; and
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| WHEREAS, Merri Dee will lend her noteworthy talents, | 7 |
| experiences, and contacts to a variety of businesses, from | 8 |
| Fortune 500 companies to community organizations, as a | 9 |
| consultant; and
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| WHEREAS, For 37 years, Merri Dee has held a number of high | 11 |
| profile positions at WGN-TV, from newscaster, talk-show host, | 12 |
| staff announcer, and editorial spokesperson, before moving | 13 |
| into the management ranks in her current position; she has also | 14 |
| hosted countless parades, telethons, and TV specials; and
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| WHEREAS, She has shared camera time and stages around the | 16 |
| world with the likes of Lou Rawls, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, | 17 |
| Oprah Winfrey, Nancy Wilson, Bernie Mac, Tom Joyner, Ed | 18 |
| McMahon, Frank Sinatra, and literally hundreds of other | 19 |
| well-known entertainers and personalities; and
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| WHEREAS, She is a recipient of many awards honoring her | 21 |
| broadcasting experience, including the Silver Circle "Lifetime |
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| Achievement Award" presented by the Chicago Academy of TV Arts | 2 |
| and
Sciences, the national "Gracie Allen Award' by the National | 3 |
| Association of American Women in Radio and TV, and the | 4 |
| "Adoption Excellence Award' by the U.S. Secretary of Health and | 5 |
| Human Services; and
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| WHEREAS, As manager of WGN-TV Children's Charities, a fund | 7 |
| of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, she raised over $30 | 8 |
| million for various children's organizations in Chicago and | 9 |
| made the welfare of children waiting to be adopted in Illinois | 10 |
| her personal project; and
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| WHEREAS, A strong believer in education, Merri Dee has also | 12 |
| hosted the United Negro College Fund's "Evening of Stars" for | 13 |
| 30 years, serving two years as the volunteer general chairman | 14 |
| of the nationally televised event; she is the co-founder of | 15 |
| Athletes For Better Education (AFBE), an academic, athletic | 16 |
| program, where graduates like Coach Terry Cummings, Doc Rivers, | 17 |
| Tony Brown, and others received academic support, guidance, and | 18 |
| motivation toward reaching their goals as professional | 19 |
| athletes; and
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| WHEREAS, Merri Dee serves on the boards of several | 21 |
| organizations including: Ronald McDonald House Charities, | 22 |
| Associated Colleges of Illinois, Adoptions Unlimited, Junior | 23 |
| Achievement, the Chinese American Service League, and the board |
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| of the Illinois Council of AARP; and
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| WHEREAS, On July 17, 1971 Merri Dee was kidnapped and | 3 |
| almost murdered by a stalker; when this happened she was given | 4 |
| last rites, but she survived, overcoming paralysis and | 5 |
| blindness, and she was inspired by her second chance in life; | 6 |
| and | 7 |
| WHEREAS, She continues to serve on the Illinois Attorney | 8 |
| General's Violent Crime Victims Commission and the States | 9 |
| Attorney's Advisory Council on violence; most recently she was | 10 |
| confirmed by the Chicago City Council as a member of the | 11 |
| Mayor's Advisory Council on Women and appointed through the | 12 |
| Pentagon as a United States Army Ambassador; and | 13 |
| WHEREAS, Merri Dee is married to Nicholas Fulop and has one | 14 |
| daughter, Toya Campbell; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 16 |
| NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 17 |
| congratulate Merri Dee on her retirement and wish her the best | 18 |
| in all her future endeavors; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 20 |
| presented to Merri Dee and WGN-TV as a symbol of our sincere | 21 |
| respect.
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