RESOLUTION
Congratulations extended to Nancy Aardema on retirement as Executive Director of the Logan Square
Neighborhood Association.
WHEREAS, Nancy Aardema has announced her retirement as Executive Director of the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA); and
WHEREAS, the Chicago City Council has been informed of her retirement by the Aldermen representing Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood: Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35), Alderman Daniel La Spata (1), Alderman Roberto Maldonado (26), Alderman Ariel Reboyras (30), Alderman Felix Cardona, Jr. (31), Alderman Scott Waguespack (32), and Alderman Rossana Rodriguez (33); and
WHEREAS, Nancy Aardema has been committed to serving the community of Logan Square, helping working class families, primarily longtime Latinx residents and immigrant communities ofthe Northwest Side since 1987 when she started serving as Executive Director of LSNA; and
WHEREAS, Since taking over, Nancy helped orient LSNA into a more pro-immigrant, pro-Latinx, social justice focused organization, recruiting Latinx people into leadership and staff positions, working on issues that Latinx members want to work on, and making sure that all meetings be held in both Spanish and English. Nancy rebuilt LSNA from the ground up, expanding the geographical boundaries of LSNA's activities, recruiting social service groups to serve as institutional members, and identifying Latinx leaders and empowering them within LSNA; and
WHEREAS, In the early 2000s, Nancy also helped expand LSNA's focus to include education and local school improvement. Nancy and her staff created the nationally-acclaimed Parent Mentors Program within most of the local elementary and high schools in the Logan Square area. That program continues to bring out many local school parents to become more involved in the community, work within the schools as volunteers, and to participate within LSNA; and
WHEREAS, Since 2010, LSNA has been spearheading many efforts to fight against the forces of gentrification in Logan Square and the Northwest Side in order to stop the displacement of low-income Latinx and Black families. Under Nancy's leadership LSNA has become a model organization for community organizing, winning many grassroots campaigns and challenging those in power to do more for low-income communities across Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Nancy has transformed LSNA into a stable 58-year old community organization that is representative of all its neighborhoods and of its neighbors of every race and language; an organization that is mission-driven, continually increasing the number of participants, and remains responsive to the issues of current interest to its members; and
WHEREAS, Nancy is leaving LSNA in 2020 with a building, an institutional vision, strong bylaws, fundraising capability, a good reputation, active committees of neighbors, and a well-trained and loyal staff. Though change is constant and inevitable, Nancy's tenure at LSNA has resulted in a solid structure that will enable her successors to carry on for decades to come; and
WHEREAS, the fellow staff, board members, and leaders at LSNA are grateful for her leadership and collaboration; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Council wishes to congratulate Nancy Aardema on her successful tenure at LSNA and further extend best wishes for her in her future endeavors; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the members of the Chicago City Council assembled this twenty second day of July, 2020, do hereby thank Nancy for her 33 years of distinguished leadership of the Logan Square Neighborhood Association and wish her the very best as she begins the next phase of her career; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Nancy Aardema.
Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th Ward
Daniel La Spata, 1st Ward Roberto Maldonado, 26th Ward
Ariel Reboyras, 30th Ward Felix Cardona, Jr., 31st Ward Scott Waguespack, 32nd Ward Rossana Rodriguez, 33rd Ward