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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING MR. DAVID KELLY AS A TRAILBLAZING HISTORY MAKER IN THE ACCOUNTING PROFESSION
WHEREAS, David Kelly was born May 7, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois; and
WHEREAS, in 1960, after 3 and one-half years of college, David received his bachelor’s degree in business from Roosevelt University, and in 1962, David became the 76th African American to pass the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination and become a Certified Public Accountant and the first in his family; and
WHEREAS, in 1960, David married Sandra McKendrick Kelly and they have four children; and
WHEREAS, over sixty years later, the Kelly-Williams Family has six CPAs across three generations. It is believed that the family has more CPAs than any other African American family in the country; and
WHEREAS, for seven years, David was an Internal Revenue agent in Chicago and, as an instructor, he was responsible for that office hiring the first black female Internal Revenue agent; and
WHEREAS, in 1967, David earned his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University School of Law (Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit National Honor Society) and joined the tax department of the Chicago office of Arthur Andersen & Co., the world's largest CPA partnership; and
WHEREAS, with his admission as a partner in 1976, he became the first African American to come up through the ranks and be admitted as a partner in any of the then Big Eight accounting firms; and
WHEREAS, David’s client responsibilities included consulting with and representing publicly traded companies and providing expert witness testimony and business valuation services; and
WHEREAS, in 1992, David joined NiSource, a Fortune 500 utility company, where during his 11-year career, he held positions including Corporate Tax Counsel, Vice President, CFO and President of a subsidiary group that included the Indianapolis Water Company; and
WHEREAS, at the water company, David served as a change agent, facilitating the transition of upper management from a predominantly white and male workforce to a diverse team comprising six African American and female executives, including six of the top 11 positions. And
WHEREAS, one of David’s lifelong goals included helping others advance their careers, and his motto was "Never Tell Yourself No."; and
WHEREAS, throughout his career, David had a history of civic and professional involvement, including, but not limited to the following: Energy Insurance Mutual - Board of Directors, Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee - Board of Directors, WC Resources Corporation - Board of Directors, Seaway Bank & Trust Company - Board of Directors, Talladega College - Board of Trustees, Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute - Chairman of the Board, Porter County Community Foundation - Board of Directors, Martin University -Finance Committee Chairman, International School of Indiana - Board of Directors, American Pianist Association - Board of Directors, Chicago Economic Development Corporation - Chairman of the Board, John Howard Association (Illinois prison reform) - Chairman of the Board, Children Home & Aid Society of Illinois - Board of Directors & Secretary, Economic Club of Chicago, State of Indiana - Governor's Council Sagamore of the Wabash; and
WHEREAS, the members of Mr. Kelly’s family who became CPAs with illustrious careers of their own include his daughter Michele Kelly Ellzey, his nephew Paul Kelly, his cousins Cathy R. Williams. Louis B. Williams and Alexandra Williams; and
WHEREAS, the Kelly-Williams family has carried on the legacy of Mr. David Kelly in their profession and giving back to their communities; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners on behalf of the residents of Cook County, hereby commends and honors Mr. David Kelly for his remarkable trailblazing career and outstanding contributions to the community and his profession; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mr. David Kelly as a token of our respect and esteem.
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