Record #: R2019-299   
Type: Resolution Status: Adopted
Intro date: 4/10/2019 Current Controlling Legislative Body:
Final action: 4/10/2019
Title: Gratitude extended to Alderman Ameya Pawar for dedicated service to 47th Ward
Sponsors: Emanuel, Rahm
Attachments: 1. R2019-299.pdf

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Members of this Chamber are proud to congratulate our friend and colleague, Alderman Ameya Pawar, on his eight years of dedicated and outstanding service to the people of the 47th Ward and the City of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Alderman Pawar holds a Bachelor's Degree in Religion and Philosophy from Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri; a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the Illinois Institute of Technology; and two Master's Degrees from the University of Chicago, one in Threat Response and Management and the other in Social Service Administration. Prior to seeking election as Alderman, Ameya Pawar worked at Northwestern University's Office of Emergency Management, where he developed a university-wide business continuity program and co-authored a textbook on emergency preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery; and

WHEREAS, Widely admired for his intellectual prowess, Alderman Pawar is a 2009 U.S. State Department Scholar and an alumnus of its Critical Language Program. In 2011, the New Leaders Council recognized him as an emerging leader; Crain's Chicago Business named him to its prestigious "40 under 40" list; and Governor Pat Quinn appointed him to the Illinois Innovation Council. In 2012, Alderman Pawar was named an Edgar Fellow by the University of Illinois; in 2013, Governor Quinn appointed him to the Asian American Employment Plan Council; and in 2018, he was named as a McCormick Foundation Executive Fellow. Alderman Pawar currently offers Pritzker Fellow Seminars at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics to inspire students to pursue careers in politics and public service; and

WHEREAS, First elected as Alderman of the 47lh ward in 2011, Alderman Pawar was re-elected in 2015 with a resounding 82% of the vote. Despite his popularity with local voters, Alderman Pawar honored a self-imposed two-term limit in office; and

WHEREAS, The first Indian American and Asian American elected to the Chicago City Council, Alderman Pawar focused his legislative efforts on promoting social and economic justice and workers' rights. He spearheaded legislation to guarantee paid sick leave, raise the minimum wage, combat wage theft, establish an Office of Labor Standards, prohibit procurement from sweatshops, prevent predatory debt collection methods, and preserve single-room occupancy housing units for Chicago's most vulnerable residents. Alderman Pawar also served on Mayor Rahm Emanuel's Minimum Wage Working Group, Working Families Task Force, and Resilient Families Task Force. He currently serves as Executive Director of One Illinois, a new not-for-profit news outlet committed to bridging the divides across race, class and geography; and

 

 

WHEREAS, Alderman Pawar was instrumental in establishing the City Council Office of Financial Analysis, the fourth of its kind in the Nation, which provides the City with budget analyses and makes recommendations for cost-saving reforms; and in promoting the Municipal I.D. Program, which gives all Chicago residents the ability to obtain government-issued identification; and

WHEREAS, In the 47lh Ward, Alderman Pawar redirected TIF dollars to public projects, including the Sulzer Library, Lawrence Avenue Streetscape, Clark Park, Lake View High School, Coonley Elementary School, and James B. McPherson Elementary School, among others. His economic development projects in the Ward include the Ravenswood Station retail center, Kerry Woods Cubs Field, and additional Divvy bike stations. He partnered with local entities to create a free Mariano's Grocery Store Senior Shuttle Bus Service. He created Chicago Works, an iPhone application that enables Chicago residents to make City service requests from their mobile phones. And.he launched GROW47, the City's first comprehensive initiative to link neighborhood elementary schools to neighborhood high schools. GROW 47 is now GROWCommunity, a stand-alone, not-for-profit organization working with schools across the North Side of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, A bold and unconventional thinker, Alderman Pawar argued in favor of creating a public bank and establishing a universal basic income pilot program in Chicago; and

WHERAS, Alderman Pawar served with distinction on many Chicago City Council committees, including most recently as Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Aviation, and as a member ofthe Committee on the Budget and Government Operations; Committee on Committees, Rules and Ethics; Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development; Committee on Housing and Real Estate; Committee on Public Safety; Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation; and Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards; 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 Ameya Pawar our deepest gratitude and thanks for his many years of exceptional service to the people of Chicago, and our best wishes for continued success in all of his future endeavors; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Alderman Ameya Pawar as a token of our appreciation and esteem.