RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Members of this Chamber are pleased to congratulate Deborah F. Rutter upon the occasion of her appointment as the first female president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., for a term beginning September 1, 2014; and
WHEREAS, Beginning in 1992, Ms. Rutter, a distinguished graduate of Stanford University with an MBA from the University of Southern California, served as Executive Director of the Seattle Symphony, where she played a key role in revitalizing a deficit-ridden operation, nearly tripling the Symphony's annual budget to $25 million and growing its endowment to $24 million, a remarkable six-fold increase; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Rutter's time in Seattle was also marked by unprecedented improvement of the Symphony's facilities, namely, the construction of Benaroya Hall, a state-of-the-art establishment featuring two concert venues and an educational center called Soundbridge; and
WHEREAS, In 2003, Ms. Rutter assumed her current post as President of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association; and
WHEREAS, In this capacity, Ms. Rutter wears a multitude of hats, not only overseeing the operation of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Center Presents, the Institute for Learning, Access, and Training, and the Chicago Symphony Chorus, butalso managing the magnificent Symphony Center; and
WHEREAS, During her time in Chicago, Ms. Rutter has acquired a sterling reputation for achieving strategic collaboration, innovation, and community engagement, in the process strengthening the Symphony Orchestra's position as one of the world's most highly acclaimed arts organizations; and
WHEREAS, Among other notable accomplishments, Ms. Rutter presided over the appointments of the legendary conductor Maestro Riccardo Muti as the Symphony Orchestra's 10th Music Director and of renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma as the first Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant; and
WHEREAS, In addition to Ms. Rutter's contributions in the artistic realm, her strong business acumen has enabled the Symphony Orchestra not only to survive, but thrive, in an intensely challenging economic climate for such organizations - ticket revenues are at an all-time high, the endowment has increased by $70 million, and annual fund contributions have doubled; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Rutter's extensive and uniformly successful experience over the past 20 years will certainly serve her well in her new position as President of the Kennedy Center, where she will oversee a nearly $190 million operation dedicated to presenting performances by the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera, as well as diverse additional programming covering the disciplines of modern dance, ballet, chamber music, and jazz; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this fifteenth day of January, 2014, do hereby warmly congratulate Deborah F. Rutter upon becoming President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; and
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Deborah F. Rutter with our heartfelt good wishes for her continued success.
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OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
RAHM EMANUEL
MAYOR
January 15, 2014
TO THE HONORABLE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I transmit herewith a congratulatory resolution concerning Deborah Rutter. Your favorable consideration of this resolution will be appreciated.
Very truly yours,
a
Mayor