CONGRATULATIONS EXTENDED TO THE HONORABLE EARLEAN COLLINS
WHEREAS, Earlean Collins, Cook County Commissioner 1st District, will be celebrating 37 years of public service on October 17, 2014; and
WHEREAS, The City Council has been informed of this special occasion by The Honorable Bob Fioretti, Alderman of the 2nd Ward; and
WHEREAS, Over the past 37 years, Earlean Collins had a long and distinguished career as a public servant. Her career as an elected official began when she was elected to the Illinois State Senate, becoming the first African American female elected to that body. Her hard work and tenacity elevated her to the position of Assistant Minority Leader in the State Senate; and
WHEREAS, While in the State Senate, Earlean Collins sponsored legislation that impacted the lives of not just her constituents, but of all Illinois residents. Her numerous legislative accomplishments include: sponsoring the Public Employees Collective Bargaining Act, the Equal Employment Office, the Job Training Partnership Act, the Independent Public Defenders Office, Earn Fare Program, Illinois College Tuition Savings Program, Illinois Housing Trust Program, Boot Camp Program, Women and Business Assistance Program and establishing treatment centers for pregnant women with substance abuse difficulties; and
WHEREAS, Following her career in the Illinois Senate, in 1998, Earlean Collins was elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners, representing the County's 1st District, an area that includes the Chicago neighborhoods of Humboldt Park, West Garfield Park, Austin and Montclare, as well as the surrounding suburbs of Oak Park, Forest Park, Maywood, Broadview, Westchester, Bellwood and Hillside; and
WHEREAS, As County Commissioner, Earlean Collins served as Chairman of the Criminal Justice and Workforce Job Development and Training Opportunities Committees. Commissioner Collins conducted the first public hearings on the Burge police torture cases, which lead to the passage...
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