Full Text of SR0368 96th General Assembly
SR0368 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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SR0368 |
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 |
| learn of the death of Wanda White Gills of Chicago, who passed | 4 |
| away on June 24, 2009; and
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| WHEREAS, She was born on November 11, 1956 in | 6 |
| Charlottesville, Virginia; she moved to Chicago in 1985 with | 7 |
| her husband, Elder Dr. Douglas Gills; and
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| WHEREAS, She served as an Assistant or Deputy Commissioner | 9 |
| under Chicago Mayors Harold Washington, Eugene Sawyer, and | 10 |
| Richard M. Daley; she was a community based coalition builder, | 11 |
| serving with the Community Workshop on Economic Development | 12 |
| (CWED) and the Women's Self Employment Project (WSEP); and
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| WHEREAS, She was known as the "Mother" of Chicago's | 14 |
| award-winning Empowerment Zone planning process, working | 15 |
| tirelessly in mobilizing low-income communities to participate | 16 |
| in the planning process while serving as the Executive Director | 17 |
| of CWED; after leaving CWED, she became the Development | 18 |
| Director of the Chicago Housing Authority Transition team, | 19 |
| spearheading the Hope VI planning and implementation process | 20 |
| involving public housing residents; and
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| WHEREAS, She was an active member of Progressive Community |
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SR0368 |
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| Center Church, where she served in a variety of positions, | 2 |
| including Chief Operating Officer and as a member of the Praise | 3 |
| Dance team; and
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| WHEREAS, She was preceded in death by her brother, Clarence | 5 |
| White Ragland; and | 6 |
| WHEREAS, She is survived by her husband, Elder Dr. Douglas | 7 |
| Gills; her sons, Wilbur Scott and Raymond Douglas; her | 8 |
| daughter, Raniece White; her parents, Ray and Ethel Ragland; | 9 |
| her four grandchildren; her adopted sisters and brothers; and a | 10 |
| host of nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL | 12 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with | 13 |
| her family and friends, the passing of Wanda White Gills; and | 14 |
| be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 16 |
| presented to the family of Wanda White Gills as a symbol of our | 17 |
| sincere sympathy.
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