RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, After 30 years as a dedicated and tireless public servant for the people of Chicago, including four years as a Deputy Commissioner, Michael D. Simon will be retiring from city service on June 30, 2021; and
WHEREAS, Mike was born and raised in Chicago and graduated from Transfiguration of Our Lord Elementary School and Gordon Tech High School before going on the earn a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree from Western Illinois University; and
WHEREAS, Mike immediately dedicated his talents and passion to serving the people of Chicago, starting as an intern in the Mayor's Office of Special Events in 1991; and
WHEREAS, Mike's dedication and work ethic were quickly recognized and he steadily rose through the ranks and assumed various leadership roles in the Mayor's Office for Special Events and the Chicago Park District; and
WHEREAS, Mike's move to the Chicago Department of Transportation as an Assistant Commissioner in 2000, and subsequent promotion to Deputy Commissioner in 2017, showcased Mike's love of Chicago and his dedication to improving the quality of life of every community of our great city, be it coordinating large projects like the review and permitting of fiber installation to all Chicago Public Schools, the implementation of the ChiStreetWork web-based app that displays current construction and road repair projects, and most recently, the 2020 City of Chicago Expanded Outdoor Dining Program, which offered an innovative and timely solution for small businesses to pivot to outdoor dining during COVID; and
WHEREAS, For three decades, Mike has been an essential resource, or Johnny on the Spot, for three administrations and for aldermen of every ward, counseling and solving problems for residents, businesses, and builders, and doing so not only with the highest degree of professionalism but with a sincere compassion for residents and small business owners in all communities; and
WHEREAS, Mike has also given back to his community in numerous way, especially in his tireless efforts to provide safe and positive sports and recreational opportunities for young people, while he and his wife Mimi raised a beautiful family of their own; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Mayor and the members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this 23rd day of June, 2021, do hereby express our deepest gratitude to Michael D. Simon for his decades of outstanding service to the City of Chicago and offer him our most heartfelt congratulations and warm wishes as he begins his next chapter; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to Michael D. Simon as a sign of our congratulations and good wishes.