RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Laurence J. Msall has been called to eternal life by the wisdom of God at the age of 61; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of his passing by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, Laurence is survived by his wife Nicola Hill-Cordell, his three daughters, Lucille, Camille and Matilda, and Nicola's beloved children, Alex (Maria), Samantha (Michael), Tommy, Tess and Oscar, as well as three grandchildren, Valerie, Owen, and Reece Jeffrey, eight of his siblings, Michael (Karla), Anita, Karin (Steve) Fischer, Mary (Scott) Rogers, Camille, Madeleine (Frank Mauceri), Christianne, and Julianne (Christopher) Pegler, his first wife Mary Jo Smith and many nieces and nephews; and
WHEREAS, He was born in Chicago in the winter of 1962, the 8th of 10 children of Emil and Lucille (nee Kotewa) Msall; and
WHEREAS, Laurence attended St. Ignatius High School and Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he proudly served on the Board of Trustees; and
WHEREAS, His formative years at Knox College are where he picked up the political bug, and he moved to Springfield after graduation to work for then-Illinois Governor Jim Thompson at the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs; and
WHEREAS, In 1990 Laurence joined the staff of the Commercial Ciub of Chicago as vice president, where he worked with the CEOs of some of Chicago's largest corporations promoting regional economic development strategies and special projects including the Chicago Bears stadium and reorganization of the United Way of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Laurence earned his Juris Doctorate in 1992 at Loyola University School of Law, Evening Division; and
WHEREAS, Laurence returned to Illinois government in 1999, when then-Governor George H. Ryan appointed him Senior Advisor for Economic Development; and
WHEREAS, He was responsible for the oversight of eleven of the state's economic development and infrastructure-related agencies; and
WHEREAS, Laurence became president of the Civic Federation, Illinois' century-old and leading voice for fiscal responsibility and government accountability, in January of 2002; and
WHEREAS, Oyer his 20 years as president, Laurence worked tirelessly to make the Civic Federation an indispensable source of reliable fiscal information and government process recommendations to public officials, the media and the general public; and
WHEREAS, Laurence was a strong mentor to a generation of Civic Federation staff, who have gone on to successful careers in government, philanthropy and the private sector; and
WHEREAS, To his beloved family, Laurence imparts a legacy of generosity, compassion, devotion to family and unwavering faith in God; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council, assembled this fifteenth day of March, 2023, do hereby commemorate Laurence for his graces-filled life and do hereby express our condolences to his family; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Laurence ]. Msall.
EdwarcrM. Burke Alderman, 14th Ward