SALUTE TO NORMA REYES
WHEREAS, Norma Reyes, an outstanding public servant and member of her community, is retiring after three decades of dedicated government service; and
WHEREAS, Norma Reyes' parents came to this city from Puerto Rico for a better life and to achieve their American dream. They settled on the northwest side in Humboldt Park, where Ms. Reyes was to spend her youth. She is one of seven children and the second oldest out of her siblings; and'
WHEREAS, Norma Reyes attended Chicago Public Schools until her sophomore year of high school when with some members of her community founded an alternative high school. The high school is still operating today and has become a staple in the Puerto Rican community; and
WHEREAS, Norma Reyes attended the University of Notre Dame where, in 1978, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Government. Ms. Reyes continued her education at Notre Dame's Law School and received her Jurist Doctor in 1981; and
WHEREAS, Norma Reyes has held a wide array of positions at the municipal and state levels of government. She was an Assistant States Attorney, moving up through the ranks to the Criminal Division, becoming a first chair and eventually heading the Juvenile Court Division until 1990 when she was appointed as Chief Assistant Corporation Council. By 1994, Ms. Reyes was promoted to Deputy Corporation Counsel overseeing Municipal Prosecutions, Traffic and Building and the Land Use Division of the Law Department; and
WHEREAS, Norma Reyes was co-chair of this city's criminal justice committee for the 1996 Democratic National Convention, coordinating law enforcement and prosecutors as well as advising the Chicago Police Department on First Amendment issues and activities; and
'WHEREAS, In 2001, Norma Reyes was appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley to the post of Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Public Safety working primarily on emergency preparedness. The culmination of her efforts produced the Public Safety Consortium. Three years ...
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