HR0435 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0435 LRB098 12312 MST 46581 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, President Obama recently nominated Penny Pritzker to his cabinet for the position of U.S. Secretary of Commerce; and

WHEREAS, In his nomination address, President Obama praised Penny Pritzker as one of our country's most distinguished business leaders, stating that she knows from experience that no government program alone can take the place of a great entrepreneur; he further stated that she understands that just as great companies strengthen the community around them, strong communities and skilled workers also help companies thrive; and

WHEREAS, Penny Pritzker is an extraordinary civic and business leader who has more than 25 years of management experience in industries including real estate, finance, and hospitality; and

WHEREAS, President Obama previously appointed Penny Pritzker to the President's Council for Jobs and Competitiveness, which advises the administration on economic growth and job creation; she also served on the President's Economic Recovery Board to advise the administration on rebuilding the economy after the national recession; and

WHEREAS, Penny Pritzker is a board member of the Council on Foreign Relations to help contribute ideas to U.S. foreign policy based on global trends; and

WHEREAS, Penny Pritzker focused much of her civic work on public education; she is the advisory board chairman of Skills for America's Future, which brings together businesses and community colleges to create greater opportunities for students and prepare workers for 21st century jobs; and

WHEREAS, Penny Pritzker is the past chair of the Chicago Public Education Fund to raise private equity funds to invest in public schools; and

WHEREAS, As co-founder and co-director of The Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation, Penny Pritzker worked to fund innovative initiatives in the City of Chicago to strengthen school leadership and improve public education, especially for children in impoverished communities; and

WHEREAS, Penny Pritzker, in an effort to empower young women, was a founding board member of the Young Women's Leadership Charter School which seeks to ensure that young women have the skills, tools, and opportunities to develop as ethical leaders shaping their lives and the world; and

WHEREAS, Penny Pritzker earned a bachelor of arts in economics at Harvard University, where she also enrolled in fine arts courses and developed a passion and appreciation for the history of art and architecture; she is the former chairman of the board of the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art and currently serves as a trustee for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and is a newly elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and

WHEREAS, Penny Pritzker earned her juris doctor and masters in business administration at Stanford University, where she trained for and ran the Ironman Triathlon; she serves on the board of trustees at Stanford University, a world-class research and teaching institution; and

WHEREAS, After completing her education, Penny Pritzker entered the family business and paved the way for women both in her family and in the business world; having founded 5 businesses during her career, she has continued to give back to the community; a devoted wife and mother of 2 children, she is a Chicago native who has devoted her career to giving back to the community; she maintains that throughout all of her success in business, she is most proud of her philanthropic efforts and relationship with her family; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Penny Pritzker for her selfless efforts in improving the lives of others and congratulate her on her nomination for the position of U.S. Secretary of Commerce; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Penny Pritzker as an expression of our esteem and respect.