RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Members of this Chamber are proud to congratulate our friend and colleague, Alderman Toni Foulkes, on her twelve years of dedicated and outstanding service to the people of the 15th and 16th Wards, and the City of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Foulkes is a proud graduate of Ralph J. Bunche Elementary School and the former Academy of Our Lady High School. After graduation, Alderman Foulkes traveled and studied abroad in France, Germany, England, Italy and Switzerland. In 1986, Alderman Foulkes earned a Bachelor's Degree in Applied Arts and Merchandising from Intercontinental University. A strong woman of faith and action, Alderman Foulkes is an active member of True Foundation Transformation Church, located in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, First elected as Alderman in 2007, Alderman Foulkes served two consecutive terms as Alderman of the 15th Ward, and an additional term as Alderman of the 16th Ward; and
WHEREAS, During her tenure in office, Alderman Foulkes fought to enhance quality of education and public safety in the 15th and 16th Wards; and
WHEREAS, A member of the aldermanic Progressive Reform Caucus, Alderman Foulkes is a longtime advocate for social, political and human rights, and over the years she has supported legislation to protect the rights of Chicago workers and laborers, including initiatives to raise the minimum wage and to provide paid sick leave; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Foulkes was instrumental in the recent opening of a Whole Foods grocery store in Englewood. As with all of her efforts in the Englewood Community, Alderman Foulkes worked to ensure that the pricing of Whole Food groceries would be affordable for all the residents of Englewood; and
WHEREAS, Dedicated to social justice and stronger communities, Alderman Foulkes previously served as a local neighborhood activist and community organizer with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union and ACORN, where she served as Chairman of the West Englewood Chapter and as Illinois delegate to the National Board of ACORN; and
WHEREAS, A long-time employee of Jewel in the bakery department, Alderman Foulkes has firsthand experience with the everyday concerns and needs of working individuals and families, and has championed their causes; and
WHEREAS, Deeply dedicated to addressing issues young adults face, over the years, Alderman Foulkes helped mentor, organize and coach at-risk, underprivileged kids in literacy and job-skills training, and worked tirelessly to give them opportunities to succeed. Alderman
Foulkes also serves as the Executive Vice-President on the Board of Directors for the Paul Simon Job Corps of Chicago, a career training program for young adults; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Foulkes served with distinction on many Chicago City Council committees, including most recently as a member ofthe Committee on Committees, Rules and Ethics; Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development; Committee on Finance; Committee on Health and Environmental Protection; Committee on Human Relations; and Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Development; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members ofthe City Council ofthe City of Chicago, assembled this tenth day of April, 2019, do hereby extend to Alderman Toni Foulkes our deepest gratitude and thanks for her many years of exceptional service to the people of Chicago, and our best wishes for continued success in all of her future endeavors; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Alderman Toni Foulkes as a token of our appreciation and esteem.