RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Mark P. Donahue, Star Number 8002 has announced his retirement from the Chicago Police Department after thirty three years of service; and,
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of his retirement by Alderman Ginger Rugai; and,
WHEREAS, born to Frank and Anna, Mark was joined his siblings Tim, Chris, Frank, Kevin, Diane, Sue, Bruce, Mike, and Paul, and they were raised in a warm and loving home in St. Richards parish; and,
WHEREAS, continuing a tradition, Mark joined the Chicago Police Department on January 3, 1977, he was soon assigned his father's star 8002; and,
WHEREAS, assigned to the 9th District, Officer Donahue soon proved to be a leader and was assigned as a Patrol Specialist; and,
WHEREAS, Mark continued to rise in the Chicago Police Department, with his assignment as a Youth Officer, and then a short two years later Donahue was assigned as a Detective; and,
WHEREAS, while he was assigned to the 9th District, Mark married the love of his life, Sharon, settled down in the Mount Greenwood Community to raise their children, Carl, Lauren and Mark Jr.; he then began to take on responsibilities working through the Fraternal Order of Police as a Watch and Unit Rep to make conditions better for his coworkers; and,
WHEREAS, Even as Officer Donahue took on more and more responsibilities with the Fraternal Order of Police, serving as president to both the Illinois State and City of Chicago organizations, Mark further committed to serve the law enforcement community on a national level, even as he expanded his work for the citizens of Chicago and the State of Illinois; and,
WHEREAS, first elected to the Illinois State Fraternal Order of Police in 1998, Mark's role as president was to support and foster educational, charitable and social activities amongst law enforcement officers throughout Illinois as well as to advocate for uniform application of the civil service merit system for appointment and promotion; to support the improvement of the standard of living and working conditions of the law enforcement profession; and,
WHEREAS, in 2002, Mark was elected president of the Fraternal Order of Police representing more than 17,000 active and retired City of Chicago sworn law enforcement officers, Mark was responsible for working with the Mayor and Pension Board to pass some of the most significant pension legislation for Chicago Police Officers in more than 20 years, added an in-house law department to the Lodge's professional staff and replaced most of the outside legal counsel enabling the union to realize significant savings, secured a balanced budget without raising dues, ended telephone solicitation of donations from citizens, worked with leaders of other City of Chicago bargaining units with an unprecedented degree of cooperation and success and is his third term as president of F.O.P. Chicago Lodge #7 began in 2008; and,
WHEREAS, during his career, Mark was awarded 70 Honorable Mentions and numerous Citizens' Letters of Appreciation; and,
WHEREAS, Mark will continue his many years of volunteering as a board member with the Gold Star Families of Chicago, 100 Club of Cook County, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Illinois, Illinois State Crime Commission and Mount Greenwood Local Redevelopment Corporation; and,
WHEREAS, as an avid gardener, Mark during his retirement, expects that his yard will look even better and the Donahue farm produce will reach record production number and he is hoping to do as much traveling in the American West as possible; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Mayor and members of the Chicago City Council assemble this thirteenth day of April , 2011, do hereby congratulate Mark P. Donahue on his thirty three years of service to the Chicago Police Department, and do hereby express our best wishes for his continued happiness success and achievement; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mark P. Donahue. /~
Virgini&/A. Rugai Alderman, 19th Ward