RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Members of this Chamber are proud to congratulate our friend and colleague, Alderman Margaret Laurino, on her twenty-five years of dedicated and outstanding service to the people ofthe 39th Ward and the City of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, A lifelong resident ofthe 39th Ward, Margaret Laurino graduated from St. Edward Elementary School and Alvernia High School in Chicago and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Education and a Master's Degree in History from Northeastern Illinois University. The seeds of Margaret Laurino's passion for public service were sown at a young age as she witnessed her father, former Alderman Anthony Laurino, actively and tirelessly serve the residents ofthe 39th Ward for over three decades. She began her career in government by addressing constituents' needs in the 39th Ward office and eventually became Chief of Staff; and ;
WHEREAS, Former Mayor Richard M. Daley recognized Margaret Laurino's accomplishments and leadership capability, and, following her father's retirement, he appointed her interim 39th Ward Alderman. Margaret Laurino's vision for a thriving 39th Ward, coupled with her growing reputation as a forward thinking, energetic and effective leader, won her the 1995 election and five elections thereafter; and
WHEREAS, Throughout her illustrious career, Alderman Laurino focused on people's quality of life - good schools, educational opportunities for all, health and public safety, services for senior citizens, economic growth, capital and infrastructure improvements, constituent access to city services, and government transparency; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Laurino's many citywide initiatives included expanding high speed wireless Internet access to all city residents; banning texting while biking; mandating online ethics and sexual harassment training for City employees; video streaming Chicago City Council meetings; requiring detailed information about each of the City's tax increment finance districts to be posted on the City's website; advancing plans to make the City more accessible to and safer for pedestrians; convening a Food Desert Task Force to ensure that communities of color have access to nutritious foods; and creating the Aldermanic intern program, which provides college students with a unique opportunity to learn City government operations; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Laurino's leadership led to numerous infrastructure and public safety improvements in the 39th Ward. Over 300 residential blocks, 100 alleys and several major arterial streets were repaved or resurfaced; over $6 million in infrastructure improvements were made in Albany Park alone; $12 million was secured from the City's Rainblocker pilot program; $70 million was spent to construct an underground tunnel to relieve flooding in Albany Park; and a new $15 million state-of-the-art 17th District Police Station was built; and
WHEREAS, Deeply committed to improving Chicago's Public Schools and providing educational resources to learners of all ages, Alderman Laurino championed increased public school funding; she fought tirelessly for infrastructure improvements at area schools, including construction of the buildings for the Haugan Middle School and Albany Park Multicultural Academy, as well as new annexes at the Volta, Haugan, Sauganash, Hibbard, and Palmer Elementary Schools; and she secured funding for a new $15 million Albany Park library, which opened in 2014; and
WHEREAS, As co-founder ofthe Peterson-Pulaski Business and Industrial Council, Sauganash Chamber of Commerce, and Pulaski Elston Business Association, Alderman Laurino retained jobs and attracted new employers to the 39th Ward; and, she regularly used the Small Business Improvement Fund to assist neighborhood businesses to become more prosperous; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Laurino partnered with the Heartland Alliance, Swedish Covenant Hospital and Chicago Public Schools to open health centers at the Albany Park Multicultural Academy and at Roosevelt High School. She secured funding for the construction of a 97-unit apartment building for senior citizens in the Mayfair neighborhood, and obtained funding for senior citizen home improvement grants. Thanks to her efforts, North Park Village is now home to over 500 seniors; and
WHEREAS, In July 2013, having earned her reputation as an experienced, thoughtful, productive, and fair-minded leader, Alderman Laurino was chosen by her colleagues to serve as President Pro Tempore ofthe Chicago City Council; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Laurino has served with distinction on many Chicago City Council committees, including most recently as a member ofthe Committee on the Budget and Government Operations; Committee on Finance; and Committee on Workforce Development and Audit. She also oversaw the City Council Legislative Reference Bureau; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Laurino has consistently embodied and modeled the highest standards of public service for her staff, colleagues, and constituents: authentic caring, hard work, an ability to forge partnerships for the greater good, a positive focus on the future, and the ability to take strategic action to improve the lives of all of Chicago's residents; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Laurino was widely respected for her intelligence, her graciousness, and her good humor. In addition to her official duties, Alderman Laurino and her team achieved near legendary status as the official party planners ofthe annual aldermanic holiday party, authoring such memorable scripts such as "The Wizard," "Bye, Bye Daley," "It's a Wonderful Life," and "Council Joys." Serving as Alderman ofthe 39th Ward was Margaret Laurino's dream job and, without a shadow of a doubt, she clearly gave it her all; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members ofthe City Council ofthe City of Chicago, assembled this tenth day of April, 2019, do hereby extend to Alderman Margaret Laurino our deepest gratitude and thanks for her many years of exceptional service to the people of Chicago, and our best wishes for continued success in all of her future endeavors; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Alderman Margaret Laurino as a token of our appreciation and esteem.