WHEREAS, President Donald Trump has nominated esteemed Chicago business leader Ronald J. Gidwitz, co-founder of GCG Partners, LLC and Director of Continental Materials Corporation, to serve as United States Ambassador to Belgium; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of this appointment by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, Ronald J. Gidwitz brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role; and
WHEREAS, Ronald J. Gidwitz is the son of Gerald Gidwitz, the cofounder of Helene Curtis Industries, Inc. a Fortune 500 consumer products company, and is a former President and Chief Executive Officer of the cosmetics and beauty products company which was sold in 1996; and
WHEREAS, Ronald J. Gidwitz served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Unilever HPC Helene Curtis Business Unit from 1996-1998; and
WHEREAS, Ronald J. Gidwitz is currently a partner in GCG Partners, a strategic consulting and equity capital firm he co-founded in 1998; and
WHEREAS, Ronald J. Gidwitz also serves as a director on the Board of Kapstone Paper and Packaging Corporation, a publicly traded company and Prairie Packaging and SEI Technologies; and.
WHEREAS, Ronald J. Gidwitz is currently Chairman Emeritus of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America; and
WHEREAS, As Chairman of the Illinois Coalition for Jobs, Growth & Prosperity and Founder of Students First Illinois, Ronald J. Gidwitz worked at the State level to create an environment for job growth and provide every child with access to equal, high quality public education; and
WHEREAS, Ronald J. Gidwitz has devoted considerable time and energy actively engaged as a board member or trustee of many civic, business and philanthropic associations including the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Chicago Central Area Committee, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Chicago Crime Commission, Rush University Medical Center and Rush University; and
WHEREAS, in 2006 Ronald J.Gidwitz was a candidate for Governor of the State of Illinois; and served as President Trump's Illinois finance chair during the 2016 presidential campaign; and
WHEREAS, the hard work, sacrifice and dedication of Ronald J. Gidwitz serves as an example to all; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council, assembled this twenty-third day of May, 2018, do hereby congratulate Ronald J. Gidwitz on his nomination to become Ambassador to Belgium as he awaits confirmation by the United States Senate for the position; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution ife /resented fS Ronald. J.
Gidwitz. / /[) I ) /
Edwara M. Burke Alderman - 14* Ward