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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate Jacqueline "Jackie"
4Jackson on the occasion of being named the 2024 Illinois Small
5Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business
6Administration (SBA) Great Lakes region; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Jackie Jackson received the Illinois Small
8Business Person of the Year award during National Small
9Business Week, which took place from April 28 to May 4, 2024,
10in recognition of 33.5 million small businesses across the
11U.S. that power the national economy and serve as the backbone
12of local communities; and
 
13    WHEREAS, A native of Chicago, Jackie Jackson is a former
14teacher and property investor turned franchise owner of
15Kilwins, a Michigan-based chocolatier and ice cream shop,
16beginning her operations in 2008 with one Kilwins shop in
17Orland Park and 10 employees; today, she owns five Kilwins
18shops in the Chicago area and employs more than 75 people; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Jackie Jackson's business journey has not been
20without its pitfalls, including store break-ins, the COVID-19
21pandemic, personal challenges, and operational struggles such
22as inflation; despite these challenges, she has persevered

 

 

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1through adversity, with the SBA noting that she serves as a
2model of resilience, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit;
3and
 
4    WHEREAS, Jackie Jackson has bestowed her business acumen
5on her daughter, Janel Jackson, who has worked at Kilwins
6since she was 14 years old and became her mother's business
7partner after graduating from college; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Ever the entrepreneur, Jackie Jackson has
9expressed plans to expand her Kilwins Hyde Park through
10opening an outdoor patio space, or "Chocolate Garden", behind
11the store in July 2024; before that, she plans to open a
12Fatburger franchise in the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago in
13June 2024; therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
15HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
16we congratulate Jacqueline "Jackie" Jackson on being named the
172024 Illinois Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S.
18Small Business Administration (SBA) Great Lakes region, and we
19wish her continued success; and be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21presented to Jackie Jackson as an expression of our esteem and
22respect.