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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to honor our esteemed former
4colleague, State Representative Marlow Colvin, for his more
5than 10 years as a member of the Illinois General Assembly, and
6we thank him for dedicating his life to serving the people of
7Chicago and Illinois; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Rep. Colvin was born in March 1964 in Chicago's
9Chatham-Avalon Park neighborhood; his father was a union
10carpenter and box factory worker and his mother was a hotel
11elevator operator, and they both taught him the importance of
12hard work, family, and community; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Rep. Colvin learned at an early age from the many
14African-American leaders who came from the Chatham-Avalon Park
15neighborhood, including his mentor the late John Stroger, Sr.,
16that a community is built on hard work, sacrifice, and giving
17back; as a young man, Rep. Colvin worked to encourage other
18young Americans to become active in their government, serving
19as chairman of the Young Democrats of Cook County and as a
20board member of the Young Democrats of Illinois and the Young
21Democrats of America; Rep. Colvin has been an active member of
22the 8th Ward Regular Democratic Organization for over 20 years;
23and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Rep. Colvin attended St. Felicitas Elementary
2School, graduated from St. Willibrord Catholic High School, and
3received a degree in political science from Chicago State
4University; and
 
5    WHEREAS, After graduating college and prior to serving as
6State representative, Rep. Colvin worked as an administrator
7with the Office of the Cook County Assessor; as Manager of
8External Review, he was in charge of research, development, and
9training initiatives for the Industrial-Commercial Valuations
10division of the assessor's office; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Upon becoming State representative, Rep. Colvin
12was soon recognized as one of the House's most thoughtful and
13compassionate leaders, a member of a new generation of young
14African Americans that included former Illinois State Senator
15Barack Obama; Rep. Colvin was chosen by his colleagues to chair
16the House Legislative Black Caucus from 2003 to 2008, a role he
17used to bridge generational gaps and empower other young
18African Americans to succeed within the civic framework of our
19society; and
 
20    WHEREAS, As a State legislator, Rep. Colvin focused on job
21creation, education, and consumer protection, and viewed his
22role as chairman of the House Consumer Protection Committee as

 

 

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1a way to help low-income families and the working poor afford
2to keep the lights and heat on in their homes, and he worked to
3protect Illinois families from predatory lending and housing
4discrimination; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Rep. Colvin was a strong advocate for
6strengthening State incentive programs that recognize talented
7African-American students, especially in the fields of
8science, technology, engineering, and math, to keep them from
9being recruited to other states; he was a vocal proponent of
10investing in our students as a way to invest in our own
11communities; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Throughout his career as State representative,
13Rep. Colvin served on more than 25 House committees, including
14committees on environment and energy, labor, education, and
15consumer protection, and chaired the House Majority
16Conference; and
 
17    WHEREAS, During his work on energy issues, Rep. Colvin
18became a strong advocate for advanced energy initiatives,
19recognizing that energy independence and job creation go
20hand-in-hand; he spearheaded the approval of a coal-to-natural
21gas power plant on Chicago's southeast side to provide jobs and
22economic development for his district; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Rep. Colvin and his wife Carmen have always found
2time to volunteer in their community; he has coached little
3league baseball and youth basketball, been an active member of
4the Southeast Chicago chapter of the Kiwanis Club, a Jackson
5Park Hospital Foundation board member, and a member of the
6Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Though Rep. Colvin has retired as an elected
8official, he will always be remembered as a compassionate but
9firm leader, an inspiration to a new generation of
10African-American leaders who continue to live, work, and
11volunteer in the communities in which they were raised;
12therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
15we thank State Representative Marlow Colvin for his service to
16his community and State, and wish him continued success in all
17his future endeavors; and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19presented to Rep. Colvin as an expression of our respect and
20gratitude.