OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
LORI E. LIGHTFOOT
MAYOR
March 23, 2022
TO THE HONORABLE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I transmit herewith, together with Aldermen Sadlowski Garza, King, Burnett, Harris, Smith, Villegas, Madden, Silverstein, Vasquez, Tunney, Gardiner, Scott, Ramirez-Rosa, Moore, Ervin, La Spata, Waguespack, Reboyras, Rodriguez, Martin, Cappleman, Mitts, Sigcho-Lopez, Dowell, Quinn, O'Shea, Osterman, Lopez, Nugent and Hopkins, a resolution honoring Ngozi Ezike upon her retirement as the Director ofthe Illinois Department of Public Health.
Your favorable consideration of this resolution will be appreciated.
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, In recognition of her outstanding leadership and appreciation for her dedicated service to all lllinoisians, the Members of this Chamber are honored to recognize Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the former Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Ezike, the daughter of Nigerian immigrants, was born in Los Angeles, California. In addition to being fluent in Spanish, she also speaks French and Swahili; and
WHEREAS, A board-certified internist and pediatrician, Dr. Ezike is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. She is a Certified Correctional Health Professional and Diplomate of both the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pediatrics. She is also an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Rush Medical College; and
WHEREAS, In January 2019, Dr. Ezike became the first Black woman to be appointed as Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. Soon after her appointment, she became a trusted source of information for lllinoisians struggling to understand the constantly evolving situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Ezike captivated audiences not only with her superior medical knowledge and expertise, but also with her empathy and compassion. Her versatile communication skills, including her ability to seamlessly move from English to Spanish, provided stability for millions during a time of tremendous uncertainty; and
WHEREAS, Under Dr. Ezike's leadership, Illinois successfully vaccinated more than 70 percent of its population, developed rapid-response, in-school COVID-19 testing protocols, and established a voluntary Ambassador program composed of more than 1,200 state residents who take the message of COVID awareness and good health to their respective communities; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Ezike is also a nationally recognized expert in healthcare within the juvenile detention and justice systems. Prior to joining IDPH, she served as the medical director ofthe Cook County Juvenile Detention Center; and
WHEREAS, For more than 15 years, Dr. Ezike worked for Cook County Health, the healthcare and hospital system where she served as the Austin Health Center medical director and where she was actively engaged with the community on a variety of health initiatives; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Ezike is the recipient of numerous awards, including honorary doctorates from Southern Illinois University, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Knox College, the University of St. Francis' Sister Clare of Assisi Award, and the 2020 Excellence in Public Service Award from the Motorola Solutions Foundation; and
WHEREAS, Truly an inspiration for many people, Dr. Ezike is a woman of great strength and wisdom and her leadership during an extremely difficult period in history will forever be remembered and appreciated; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council ofthe City of Chicago, assembled this twenty-third day of March, 2022, do hereby recognize and honor Dr. Ngozi Ezike; express to her our heartfelt gratitude for her exemplary dedication and service to the residents of our great City and State; and extend to her our best wishes for continued health, happiness, prosperity, and success; and