SALUTE TO ERMA TRANTER
WHEREAS, Erma Tranter is stepping down as President and Chief Executive Officer of Friends of the Parks, a position she has held for more than 33 years; and
WHEREAS, Due to Erma Tranter's leadership, Friends of the Parks has grown from a fledgling organization to one of the most respected and influential environmental advocacy organizations in the State of Illinois. During her tenure, various activities as well as a myriad of institutions and events have been established and fostered, such as the Chicago Marathon, the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, the DuSable Coalition, and the Clean Harbors Initiative; and
WHEREAS, As a direct result of Erma Tranter's stewardship, hundreds of acres of land have been identified and transferred to the Chicago Park District, thus saved from private development. Projects such as the "Last Four Miles", an ongoing process to expand public lakefront, has been developed to complete the entire Chicago lakefront park system from the suburb of Evanston to the Indiana border; and
WHEREAS, It was through the efforts of Erma Tranter that two signature Chicago events, the L.A.T.E. Ride and the Earth Day Parks & Preserves Clean Up were initiated and continue to prosper. Thanks in great part to the work of Ms. Tranter, 23 acres of prairie and wetlands on the Northwest side of Chicago were saved from development and designated as the Dunning-Read Conservation Area as a permanent conservation easement. This area is currently being restored to their original native condition; and
WHEREAS, Erma Tranter has encouraged and supported many partnerships with kindred organizations including Friends of the River, Friends of the Forest Preserves, Openlands, Chicago Area Runners Association and, especially, the Chicago Park District and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County; and
WHEREAS, For more than three decades, Ms. Tranter has been the driving force behind Friends of the Parks' ability to make a positive impact upon ...
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