HR1201 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1201 LRB094 20297 HSS 58319 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois are pleased to congratulate Ms. Roberta H. Buchanan on the occasion of her retirement; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Buchanan holds a Bachelor of History from Bethany College, a Master of History from Rutgers University, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Buchanan worked as the executive director of the Howard Area Community Center, a private, not-for-profit, community-based youth and family agency serving Chicago's diverse north side, for over 12 years; she began her employment with the Howard Area Community Center in 1993 as the organization's associate director; she served in her post with dedication for nearly 13 years and during this time the organization has grown to serve approximately 5,000 individuals each year; and

WHEREAS, Since she assumed leadership, several new programs have been added, while existing programs have been expanded to help meet the needs of low-income individuals and families in Rogers Park; her work included, but was not limited to: maintaining the stability and quality of the agency; overall direction, supervision, and evaluation of agency staff; program planning and development; and the representation of the agency to the larger community, sponsors, and other agencies; and

WHEREAS, One of her major achievements at the Howard Area Community Center was the expansion of services to young children and their families; the agency opened a Head Start classroom to provide early childhood education to preschool children; this program and other early childhood programs have achieved accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children; she also coordinated the addition of an intensive home visiting program for teen parents; and

WHEREAS, Motivated by her belief that young people should have the tools they need to succeed, Ms. Buchanan brought an alternative high school to the Rogers Park community that offered GED programs, as well as a full curriculum that was able to grant high school diplomas; this alternative high school became accredited in 2005 by the North Central Association, certifying that its programs met recognized standards of excellence; and

WHEREAS, Adults in the Rogers Park community have also benefited from Ms. Buchanan's efforts through expanded programs; in 2002 the Howard Area Community Center opened an employment resource center for adults on the job market who wanted to become better prepared for the workforce; about 400 adult learners participate annually in a large and growing number of adult education classes such as GED preparation and English as a Second Language; and

WHEREAS, She is a Charlotte Goldberg Citizen of the Year and an active community member who is committed to organizing as a community-building strategy; she has been an active member of several community groups such as Chicago Prevention Providers, Jane Addams, and Common Cause; she has collaborated with other neighborhood organizations and community leaders to address critical concerns such as the need for affordable housing and child care, improvements in education, and greater employment opportunities; and

WHEREAS, Due to her leadership, the Howard Area Community Center has been recognized on numerous occasions for excellence in management and services; she has laid a strong foundation for this organization to build upon in the future as it continues to serve the residents of Rogers Park; and

WHEREAS, As Ms. Buchanan leaves the Howard Area Community Center, it is certain that she will continue to be a leader in the community; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Roberta Buchanan on the occasion of her retirement from her position at Howard Area Community Center, and we thank her for her many years of dedication to helping her fellow citizens; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to her as an expression of our esteem and with best wishes for all of her future endeavors.