RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, James R. Reilly has been called to eternal life by the wisdom of God at the age of 77; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of his passing by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, Jim is survived by his wife, Veronica Lynch; and
WHEREAS, Jim was born January 31,1945 in Springfield, Illinois where he attended high school, then moved to Jacksonville, Illinois in 1962; and
WHEREAS, He graduated from Illinois College in 1967 and from the University of Chicago Law School in 1972, and returned to Jacksonville and served as its City Attorney; and
WHEREAS, In 1974, Jim worked as an aide to State Representative George Burditt and taught in Winchester, Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Two years later, in 1976 Jim was elected as one of three representatives from the 49th District to the Illinois House of Representatives; and
WHEREAS, In 1984, Governor James R. Thompson appointed Jim as his Chief of Staff, and after a staff reorganization Jim was named Deputy Governor with a portfolio including budget development and legislative negotiations; and
WHEREAS, Governor Jim Edgar appointed Jim as his Chief of Staff for one year; and
WHEREAS, Starting in 1989, Jim was Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") for a decade of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the government agency known as McPier that oversees McCormick Place and Navy Pier where he oversaw renovations and expansion including development at the McCormick Place South Building and Hyatt Regency McCormick Place; and
WHEREAS, Jim served as Chairman of the Regional Transportation Agency from 2005 to 2010; and
WHEREAS, Jim then spent four years as CEO of what was then the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau and returned to McPier for a second term as CEO there from 2012 to 2015; and
WHEREAS, Jim and his wife Veronica were former owners and operators of the Sandpiper Inn in Union Pier, Michigan; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members ofthe Chicago Cit...
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