RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Gerald J. Roper has announced his retirement as Chief Executive Officer and President of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of this event by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of a long and distinguished career, Gerald J. Roper has served as an outstanding and effective ambassador for Chicago; and
WHEREAS, In 1984 Gerald J. Roper joined the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau as head of marketing and sales before serving a successful term as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of that organization from 1988 to 1993; and
WHEREAS, Assuming the mantle of Chief Executive Officer and President for the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce in 1993, Gerald J. Roper quickly earned a reputation as a leader who listens carefully to the concerns of members and offers them the services and resources they need to foster growth while maintaining stability; and
WHEREAS, For the past two decades, Gerald J. Roper has worked tirelessly to provide effective representation and expert advocacy for Chicagoland businesses and entrepreneurs in a six-county area of Northeastern Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Gerald J. Roper appeared on numerous occasions before the Chicago City Council on behalf of Chicago business and worthy civic causes; and
WHEREAS, A founding member of Business Leaders for Transportation, Gerald J. Roper has actively promoted aviation, rapid transit and high speed rail projects as key infrastructure developments that will enhance Chicagoland's position as a center for commerce, transportation and manufacturing; and
WHEREAS, A past member of the Zoning Reform Commission, the Mayor's Council of Technology Advisors, and the Chicago Workforce Board, Gerald J. Roper also served on the Chicago 2016 Transportation Advisory Council, the Mayor's Taskforce on the Employment of People with Disabilities, and the Illinois Works Executive and Steering Committees, the Workers' Compensation Advisory Board, the Illinois Blue Ribbon Pension Commission, and the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission; and
WHEREAS, Under the leadership of Gerald J. Roper, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce earned the U. S. Chamber of Commerce's prestigious five-star accreditation for its "sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the region's business climate;" and
WHEREAS, Gerald J. Roper launched a Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce affiliate, the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, that has helped establish many mutually beneficial connections between emerging companies and established firms; and
WHEREAS, Gerald J. Roper played a key role in the formation of the Illinois Innovation Accelerator Fund, a program administered by the Chicago Entrepreneurial Center that has attracted several promising new companies to our state;
WHEREAS, An influential and eloquent spokesperson, Gerald J. Roper always had the best interests of Chicagoland businesses' at heart; and
WHEREAS, Gerald J. Roper's vast experience, strong leadership and dedication to fostering Chicagoland's growth serve as an outstanding inspiration to all; and
WHEREAS, Gerald J. Roper will continue to offer his invaluable expertise and finely-honed development savvy to the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce in an advisory capacity; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council, assembled this twenty-sixth day of June, 2013, do hereby honor Gerald J. Roper for his twenty years of service to the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and do hereby express our best wishes for his continued success; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Gerald J. Roper.