HR0282 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0282 LRB096 12389 GRL 25269 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Mary Gonzalez-Koenig on the occasion of her retirement from the National Latino Education Institute after 44 years of dedicated service as the organization's founder and president; and

WHEREAS, Mary Gonzalez-Koenig was born and raised in the City of Chicago; her father labored as a blue-collar worker and her mother was a dedicated homemaker; her parents, like many immigrant families today, had to assimilate into an American lifestyle while teaching their children to embrace their Mexican heritage; growing up in a dual-culture, Mary understood that just like her family, many other immigrant families came to the United States in pursuit of a better life; and

WHEREAS, Mary Gonzalez-Koenig has had a long career of community and public service; her record of service began in the early 1960s while working at a settlement house, where she became actively involved in grass-roots movements advocating employment and training programs for the poor; during the 1970's, while performing community work, she was also dedicated to raising her family in the Pilsen area, a port-of-entry and a predominantly Latino neighborhood in Chicago where the majority of families are Mexican immigrants; as a proud mother of four with thirteen grandchildren, her community work has always instituted the notion of family integrity as the focal point of her endeavors; and

WHEREAS, One of Mary Gonzalez-Koenig's greatest achievements was the founding in 1972 of the Spanish Coalition for Jobs, Inc. (SCJ), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing economic development programs to community residents such as job placement, skills training, and educational and supportive services; born out of a grass-roots effort by community agencies, SCJ advocated for affirmative action, equal opportunity, and recognition of Latino participation in the workforce at Fortune 500 corporations; from its humble beginnings, SCJ eventually became one of the largest Latino employment, training, and advocacy non-profit agencies in Illinois; SCJ is also a nationally-accredited business and training center approved by the Illinois State Board of Education and the U.S. Department of Education; and

WHEREAS, In 1979, after realizing the significant lack of Latinos behind and in front of media cameras of local television stations, Mary Gonzalez-Koenig founded and became Chairperson of the Latino Council On the Media (LCOM), an organization dedicated to increasing the hiring and promotion of Latinos in print and electronic journalism; LCOM's other objectives include student internships, economic development, community involvement and support, and the balanced portrayal of Latinos to combat the negative stereotypical reporting of the Latino community; and

WHEREAS, In 1989, Mary Gonzalez-Koenig was appointed to serve as Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Employment and Training by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley in recognition of her leadership qualities; holding the position for five years, she was successful in bringing together business, educators, and government to develop the "YES Chicago" school-to-work transition programs; she subsequently became the Executive Director of Corporate Services and Enrollment Management at the City Colleges of Chicago, a position she held for four years; and

WHEREAS, Mary Gonzalez-Koenig has served on many civic, business, neighborhood, and service organizations, including the Pilsen-Neighbors Community Council, the Metropolitan Economic Development Alliance, the National Council of La Raza, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, the Chicago Boys and Girls Club, and Voices for Illinois Children; she has received numerous awards for her civic and community contributions, including an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Public Service by the College of Office Technology in Chicago and the distinguished National Hispanic Hero Award of the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Conference; and

WHEREAS, Mary Gonzalez-Koenig serves as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Mary Gonzalez-Koenig on the occasion of her retirement and wish her many happy and healthy retirement years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mary Gonzalez-Koenig as a symbol of our esteem and respect.