HR0459 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0459 LRB096 13010 KXB 27162 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Susan J. Kaufman, Ph.D., on her upcoming retirement as President of the University Professionals of Illinois, Local 4100 IFT-AFT/AFL-CIO and Professor Emerita of the Journalism Department at Eastern Illinois University; and

WHEREAS, Sue Kaufman was born and grew up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the daughter of a union activist in the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers and a housewife; and granddaughter of two county Democrat chairs, one of whom was a suffragist; and

WHEREAS, During the 1970s and 1980s, she distinguished herself as a journalist in newspapers, radio, and television and as an advertising and public relations practitioner; in the Upper Midwest she covered the civil rights movement, government, and education, among other topics; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Kaufman earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan Technological University, a master's degree from Indiana State University, and a Ph.D. from Indiana State University in 1992; her public service is legend, starting with memberships on a school board and a technical advisory board in Michigan and continuing through her service as president of University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100, IFT-AFT/AFL-CIO; and

WHEREAS, An active feminist throughout the 1970s, she helped to create and to manage a news service to cover the 1985 UN Decade for Women Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, among other accomplishments; she has produced documentaries and written book chapters on topics including a story of a survivor of Auschwitz who survived infamous Nazi Dr. Joseph Mengele's experiments with twins, theories of communication, and feminism; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Kaufman was hired to teach broadcast journalism at Eastern Illinois University in 1986, where she distinguished herself as news director of the television station, earning Women of Achievement and Distinguished Faculty awards and the love and admiration of her students; and

WHEREAS, She became active in union leadership in 2000, only after another broadcaster (one of her former students) was hired as news director for the student television station and she no longer saw a conflict of interest; she was elected president of EIU's chapter of University Professionals of Illinois in the 1990s, and secretary-treasurer of Local 4100 in 2000; in 2002, Dr. Kaufman was appointed president of the Local, leading nearly 3,000 university faculty and staff at seven public universities; she was elected to two more three-year terms as Local president; and

WHEREAS, She served as a vice president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers and a member of American Federation of Teachers Higher Education Program and Policy Council; and as a member of the policy council of Citizen Action Illinois and vice president of the Public Action Foundation Board; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Kaufman's seven-year tenure as Local 4100 president has been marked by inclusion, cooperation, and strengthening of the Local/Chapter relationship; she expanded the role of the membership and governing boards, created transparency of the finances and administration, developed the concept of strategic budgeting, oversaw an increase in membership each year under her tenure due to a strong emphasis on internal organizing, helped to create the Higher Education Legislative Coalition, which has become a strong voice for the needs of higher education in Illinois, and strengthened alliances with the Illinois Federation of Teachers and with the American Federation of Teachers; and

WHEREAS, She and her partner of more than 30 years have raised five children and now care for her nonagenarian mother; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Dr. Sue Kaufman on her retirement and wish her continued success in all her future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Sue Kaufman as a symbol of our respect.