HR1001 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1001 LRB099 18560 MST 42939 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Ellen Shepard on the occasion of her retirement as Executive Director of the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce after 16 years of service; and

WHEREAS, Ellen Shepard has been Executive Director of the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce and the Andersonville Development Corporation in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood since 1999; and

WHEREAS, When Ellen Shepard joined the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce it was a one-person operation; under her leadership, the Andersonville neighborhood has become one of the foremost communities in the United States using localization and environmental sustainability as economic development strategies; she spearheaded the growth of Chamber programs and the creation of the Andersonville Development Corporation; Andersonville now hosts over a dozen special events each year; and

WHEREAS, Prior to joining the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce, Ellen Shepard was a public relations and marketing consultant for organizations, including the Chicago Department of Housing and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation; her experience with small businesses began at the League of Chicago Theatres, where she provided technical assistance to arts organizations; she spent a decade before that as a stage manager and technician on assorted Chicago stages; she has a Master of Arts in Urban Studies from Loyola University; she enjoys singing in a variety of folk and jazz groups and playing the banjo; and

WHEREAS, Ellen Shepard will officially be leaving the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce in March of 2016; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Ellen Shepard on her retirement as Executive Director of the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce after 16 years of service; and be it further

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