RESOLUTION HONORING AUDRENA A. SPENCE FOR 28 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH METROPOLITAN FAMILY SERVICES
WHEREAS, Audrena A. Spence, Executive Director ofthe Metropolitan Family Services Calumet Center, and long-time resident of the South Shore community, leaves Metropolitan Family Services after 28 years of leadership and growth; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of this occasion by the Honorable Anthony Beale, Alderman ofthe 9th Ward; and
WHEREAS, Audrena began her career at Metropolitan Family Services ("Metropolitan") on December 3, 1993 as a social worker and leaves as the Executive Director of Metropolitan's Calumet Center ("Calumet Center") and a member of Metropolitan's Executive Team; and
WHEREAS, Under Audrena's leadership, the Calumet's Center's annual budget grew from $5 million in 2007 to $9.2 million in 2021, and now serves over 11,000 clients annually; as part of their mission she has mentored over 1,000 members ofthe Calumet Center's team; and
WHEREAS, A firm believer in teamwork, Audrena believes every person involved brings value to the process, and everyday she challenges her staff to think critically and strategically about how to best improve their clients' lives; a leader who emboldens her staff, she is the personification of Orrin Woodward's quote, "average leaders raise the bar on themselves, good leaders raise the bar for others, great leaders inspire others to raise their own bar"; and
WHEREAS, Audrena belongs to a number of professional organizations including the Community of African American Mental Health Professionals and the Black Administrators in Child Welfare of Illinois; she has been appointed to a number of civic and professional groups including the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Family First Prevention Services Act, Communication and Integration Workgroup, the Blackburn College Board of Trustees, and the Chicago Commission on Human Relations; and
WHEREAS, Audrena's work has been recognized by several organizations, and she has received numerous awards, including the Rainbow Push's Dr. King/President Johnson Faith in Politics: Game Changer Visionary Service Award in 2020, and the All Stars Project of Chicago's Community Spirit Award in 2016; and
WHEREAS, The people of Chicago owe a debt of gratitude to Audrena for her mentorship and service to the City, and the profound impact she has made in her community will be felt for generations; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this fifteenth day of December, 2021, do hereby thank Audrena A. Spence for 28 years of service to the people of Chicago; and
ANTHONY BEALE Alderman, 9th Ward
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to Audrena A. Spence as a sign of our esteem, honor, and respect.