title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF SYLVIA PUENTE FROM THE LATINO POLICY FORUM
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente, a Chicago native, public policy expert, and civic leader, has dedicated her career to advocating for justice, equity, and economic prosperity and has made immeasurable contributions to advancing equity for Latinos for the betterment of all Cook County and Illinois residents; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente’s activism began at age 13 when she walked the picket lines supporting the United Farm Workers (UFW) Union with her mother to protest inequities in housing, pay, and education; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente is the first in her family to earn a college degree. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente continued graduate studies at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and earned her master’s degree from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente has been frequently cited in the media as an expert on Latino issues and has published numerous reports that articulate the vital role they play in society; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente served as director of the Center for Metropolitan Chicago Initiatives for the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies from 2001-2008 where she published the first reports on Latino growth in the Chicago suburbs; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente was appointed by Governor JB Pritzker to his Educational Success Transition Committee, the Restore, Reinvest, Renew Board, and the State Housing Task Force; and
WHEREAS, previous governors appointed her to the state’s Education Funding Advisory Board and the Early Learning Council; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente serves on the board of Advance Illinois, and is a member of Illinois Unidos, a consortium of local Latino leaders dedicated to addressing the public health and the economic impact of COVID-19 on the Latino community statewide; and
WHEREAS, in 2009, Sylvia Puentes became the CEO of the Latino Forum Policy, a nonprofit that works for equity, justice, and economic prosperity on behalf of Latinos in Chicago and Illinois through public-policy advocacy and analysis on issues including education, housing, and immigration; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente has earned a national reputation as a bridge builder and a trailblazer, having been recognized by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics in the U.S.”; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente received the Ohtli Award, México’s highest recognition for leaders outside of Mexico, and in 2023, Sylvia Puente received the Career Achievement Award from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente was a Leadership Greater Chicago and Chicago Community Trust Fellow and has been awarded multiple leadership awards from the University of Illinois, where she is the only Latina whose portrait hangs in the student union among other notable alums, the University of Chicago, which named her Outstanding Leader of Color, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Illinois Latino Legislative Caucus Foundation; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente was awarded the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s (MALDEF) Community Service Award, the National Museum of Mexican Art’s Sor Juana Women of Achievement Award for Community Service, and the National Football League’s Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award presented by the Chicago Bears; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente was one of 25 Chicago area women named a “Pioneer for Social Justice.”; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente has worked tirelessly with nonprofit leaders, elected officials, and corporate partners to improve educational outcomes for children, to make housing more accessible and affordable while promoting just immigration reform, and to build the influence and leadership of Latinos for the betterment of all Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Puente’s endless contributions have made an immeasurable impact throughout her career and will continue to grow and empower people for years to come.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Commissioners does hereby offer its congratulations and gratitude to Sylvia Puente on her retirement from the Latino Policy Forum; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this text be spread upon the proceedings of this Honorable Body and that a suitable copy of this resolution is presented to Sylvia Puente for her outstanding achievements.
end