SALUTE TO NEIL BOSKANO
WHEREAS, The City of Chicago City Council salutes Neil Bosanko, an outstanding civic leader and a cherished native of this city's South Side; and
WHEREAS, While a student at Bowen High School in the early 1970s, Neil Bosanko rose to accept his role as a contributing member of society. He founded the Afro-American History Club, organized block clubs and community groups to clean vacant lots and viaducts, thus creating a working between the various ethnic and racial groups who makeup the broader social fabric of this great city; and
WHEREAS, After graduation Neil Bosanko joined the Peace Corp/VISA program to work on PROJECT FIND, a program created by the Office of the Governor. Employing his experience working with different ethnic groups during those high school days, Mr. Bosanko helped senior citizens who weren't fluent in English understand and access social services that were available to them throughout the city and the nation's Midwest. Deciding to concentrate more on local issues, Mr. Bosanko took a position with the South Chicago Neighborhood House. He began at the bottom rung ofthe ladder as a youth service coordinator, but eventually ascended to become director of the South Chicago Neighborhood House; and
WHEREAS, Neil Bosanko reluctantly took a medical leave from a job he to which he had devoted countless hours of community service. Upon his return, he assumed a new position with the South Chicago Chamber of Commerce where he utilized his vast intercultural experience to bring together members of the Chinese and Native American community thereby creating a better understand each other's cultural heritage. Mr. Bosanko used these skills to facilitate affective relations between the business, social service, religious, and academic communities to probe the cause of problems adversely affecting the neighborhoods in which he worked; and
WHEREAS, Neil Bosanko has always exhibited an innate ability to ease ethnic tensions. This ability became crucial following the devastating and tragic attacks on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11th, 2001. Mr. Bosanko took it upon himself to hold meetings between the various ethnic groups in order to pursue a dialogue on how this seminal event had affected the community; and
WHEREAS, Neil Bosanko's passion is not limited to his public service. It also extends to his private life. He has opened his home to at-risk teens that needed a strong, positive, and influential individual in their lives who could show them the path to prosper as a member of society. The teens Mr. Bosanko took in were drop outs, addicts and parents. Because of his guidance, many were able to break the vicious and destructive cycles in which these teens found themselves. The vast majority of those sheltered graduated high school and some advanced into two and four year institutions of higher learning; and
WHEREAS, Neil Bosanko is a shining example of how one person can have a profound impact on the lives of many. He understood from a young age that dialogue and cultural relativism can be powerful tools to strengthen the bonds between communities who may not share the same world views. Mr. Bosanko exemplifies the dictum that, in order to have a strong society, all have to be role models and that even though we may not be wealthy we can still give our time to help make this city a better place; and
BE IT RESOLVED That we, the Mayor and members of the City of Chicago City Council, gathered together this 18,h Day of May, 2011 AD, Do hereby salute Neil Bosanko for his lifetime commitment to community service and express our most profound thanks to him; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to Neil Bosanko