RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, With hearts full of best wishes for her future, mixed with regret to see her leave, the Members of this Chamber are pleased to congratulate Mary Joyce Gallagher, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Family and Support Services, on the occasion of her departure from the Department; and
WHEREAS, A native of Buffalo, New York, Ms. Gallagher worked as a newspaper reporter before relocating to Chicago. After her first marriage ended, she took on - with grace and dignity - the herculean task of being a single mother to ten children, ranging in age from 1 to 18. A multitasker by nature, who balanced the demands on her time with exceptional competence and grace, Ms. Gallagher began her career with the City of Chicago in June of 1989, when she was hired as Director of Planning of the former City Cable TV Commission. In November of 1990, Ms. Gallagher was named Cable Administrator, a position in which she worked tirelessly to create competition among cable providers and to produce a Consumer Bill of Rights, all to protect Chicago residents; and
WHEREAS, Impressed by Ms. Gallagher's energy, skill, dedication and work ethic, in July of 2003, Mayor Richard M. Daley appointed Ms. Gallagher as Commissioner of the Department on Aging. Motivated by her vision for the Department, which was "to involve the entire City in assisting the Department" to identify isolated senior citizens who needed help and services, such as meals, in-home services, health care, tax assistance or rides, Ms. Gallagher hit the ground running. Within days of her appointment, she formed a task force on aging to anticipate and meet the demands for service created by the City's rapidly aging Baby Boomer population, and she gained notoriety for pinning an "Accentuate The Positive" button on the lapel of almost everyone she met while personally visiting all of the Department's facilities in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Gallagher quickly adjusted from directing one of the City's smaller ag...
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