RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Dr. Joanne C. Smith, has been called to eternal life by the wisdom of God at the age of 60; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of her passing by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Smith is survived by her husband, Rory Repicky, their children, Claire and Michael Repicky, and a large extended family, in which she was one of nine children; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Smith was born January 1, 1961 and was a long time resident of Hinsdale, Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Smith earned a Bachelors degree, cum laude, from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, an MD degree with Alpha Omega Alpha distinction from Michigan State University; and
WHEREAS, In 1988, Dr. Smith came to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago for her residency; and
WHEREAS, In 1992, Dr. Smith completed her residency and chief residency at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine and later became a practicing physician at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, In 2006, a few years after earning her Masters degree from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, Dr. Smith was appointed President and CEO ofthe Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, The Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, opened on March 27,2017, which was set to become the No. 1 global leader in physical medicine and rehabilitation for adults and children with the most severe and complex conditions; and
WHEREAS, In 2018, Dr. Smith presented at the first-ever Wall Street Journal, Future of Everything Festival, which was an ideas exchange focused on innovations that are transforming the world; and
WHEREAS, In 2019 and 2021, Dr, Smith was recognized as one of Modern Healthcare's exclusive "Top 25 Women Leaders"; and
WHEREAS, In addition to her leadership at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, where she managed a team of more than 2,000 clinicians, scientists, and staff, she was a faculty member at the Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine for 25 years; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Smith also served for more than a decade on the Healthcare Advisory Roundtable for Madison.Dearborn Partners and for more than two decades on the board of directors for AptarGroup, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, To her beloved family and friends, Dr. Joanne G. Smith imparts a legacy of hope, compassion, and devotion to family, medicine, and rehabilitation; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council, assembled this Fourteenth day of September, 2021, do hereby commemorate Dr. Joanne C. Smith for her grace-filled life and do hereby express our condolences to her family; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable, copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Dr. Joanne C. Smith.
Edward M. Burke
Alderman, 14th Ward