OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
RAHM EMANUEL
MAYOR
May 20, 2015
TO THE HONORABLE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I transmit herewith a resolution concerning our departing colleague Alderman John Pope. Your favorable consideration of this resolution will be appreciated.
Mayor
Very truly yours,
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Members of this Chamber are proud to congratulate our friend and colleague, Alderman John A. Pope, on his sixteen years of dedicated and outstanding service to the people of the 10th Ward and the City of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Alderman John Pope is a lifelong resident of Chicago's 10th Ward. Both his parents and grandparents resided there. His father, Bill, made his living by working in the steel mills on Chicago's South Side; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Pope graduated from Chicago's Mount Carmel High School, where he participated in extracurricular activities and various sports. He was a member of the National Honor Society, played football and served as team captain in his senior year; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Pope attended Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where he was a member ofthe student council, played football, and obtained a bachelor's degree in economics; and
WHEREAS, Following his graduation from college, Alderman Pope worked for three years as an analyst in the City of Chicago's Office of Budget and Management; as director of demolition in the Department of Buildings; as director of conservation in the Department of Buildings, where he managed a staff of 100 persons responsible for inspecting buildings and structures throughout the City; and as an assistant to Mayor Richard M. Daley, where he worked on neighborhood improvement and infrastructure programs; and
WHEREAS, On May 3, 1999, John Pope was sworn in as Alderman ofthe 10th Ward. He was re-elected in 2004, 2008 and 2012. Alderman Pope also served as 10th Ward Democratic Committeeman; and
WHEREAS, During his tenure in office, Alderman Pope consistently promoted measures to help working-class people and to improve the City's neighborhoods. He supported increasing the minimum wage, immigration rights, affordable housing initiatives, and extending the citywide moratorium on landfills. Under Alderman Pope's guiding hand, two new schools were built in the 10th Ward, Roger C. Sullivan High School and Marsh Elementary School; the Chicago Manufacturing Center opened its doors, bringing more than 1,000 new jobs to the community, and the Ford Motor Company's Chicago Assembly Plant was expanded; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Pope was appointed to the Chicago Infrastructure Trust by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, where he worked to find innovative ways to leverage private investment for transformative infrastructure projects; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Pope has served with distinction on many Chicago City Council committees, including, most recently, as Vice Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Public Way; and as a member ofthe Committee on Finance; Committee on Budget and Government Operations; Committee on Public Safety; Committee on Housing and Real Estate; and Committee on Health and Environmental Protection; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members ofthe City Council ofthe City of Chicago, assembled this twentieth day of May, 2015, do hereby extend to Alderman John A. Pope our heartfelt gratitude and thanks for his many years of exceptional service to the people of Chicago, and our best wishes for continued success in all of his future endeavors; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Alderman John A. Pope as a token of our appreciation and esteem.