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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE WORK AND DEDICATION OF LINDA XÓCHITL TORTOLERO AT MUJERES LATINAS EN ACCIÓN (MLEA)
WHEREAS, Linda Xóchitl Tortolero is a proud Chicagoan and first-generation Mexican American; and
WHEREAS, Linda Xóchitl Tortolero received her High School diploma from the Latin School of Chicago in 1996 and attended la Fundación Universidad de las Américas Puebla from 1998-1999; and
WHEREAS, Linda Xóchitl Tortolero holds a B.A. from Brown University and a J.D. from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law; and
WHEREAS, Linda Xóchitl Tortolero developed a passion for her community and helping others, which led her to become a Development Manager for Mujeres Latinas en Acción (MLEA) in 2007; and
WHEREAS, MLEA is a bilingual/bicultural agency that empowers Latinas by providing services that reflect their values and culture and advocates on the issues that make a difference in their lives; and
WHEREAS, in MLEA, Linda Xóchitl Tortolero met with funders, led site visits, and made presentations for general and project-specific programming support; and
WHERAS, Linda Xóchitl Tortolero conducted fundraising efforts for special events and supervised development staff, interns, and volunteers; and
WHEREAS, Linda Xóchitl Tortolero has dedicated her career to addressing critical issues like gender-based violence, women's health, and immigration; and
WHEREAS, because of her hard work and dedication, Linda Xóchitl Tortolero became the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MLEA in 2017; and
WHEREAS, as President and CEO, Linda Xóchitl Tortolero worked closely with the Board of Directors and its committees to establish a strong working relationship and maintain ongoing communications regarding policies and programs; and
WHEREAS, under her leadership, MLEA expanded its direct services impact and established itself as a national model and resource center by developing programming to support other Latine gender-based violence programs; and
WHEREAS, Linda Xóchitl Tortolero has supported the development and led the advocacy for ¡Actívate!, a community data-driven strategy for Mujeres' policy work that was pivotal in securing a historic increase of $12 million for sexual assault and rape crisis centers in the Illinois FY25 budget; and
WHEREAS, Linda Xóchitl Tortolero was actively involved in several initiatives, including being a member of the City of Chicago's Gender Based Violence Implementation Taskforce, the Women's Advisory Council for the Mayor's Office, the Latine Homelessness Roundtable in Illinois, and the Equal Pay Chicago Steering Committee, among other committees and boards; and
WHEREAS, Linda Xóchitl Tortolero is an astonishing leader and has been recognized and awarded the 2020 Public Service Award from the National Association of Women Lawyers and the inaugural 2020 Chicago Community Trust Fellow award as part of the Leadership Greater Chicago Signature Fellows Program; and
WHEREAS, Linda Xóchitl Tortolero will transition from President and CEO to becoming the Latino Policy Forum's President and CEO effective April 21, 2025.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Cook County Board President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby congratulate and honor the hard work and dedication of Linda Xóchitl Tortolero at Mujeres Latinas en Acción (MLEA); 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 be presented to Linda Xóchitl Tortolero for her outstanding work and dedication at Mujeres Latinas en Acción (MLEA) and wish her the best on her new journey at the Latino Policy Forum.
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