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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION HONORING JIM GARRETT ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT
WHEREAS, Jim Garrett, President and CEO of Visit Chicago Southland since 1996, will be retiring June 30, 2024; and
WHEREAS, under Jim Garrett’s leadership, Visit Chicago Southland (formerly Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau) has flourished, overseeing administrative, marketing, and sales operations with the objective of generating overnight hotel stays by promoting the Chicago Southland region as a prime location for meetings, conventions, trade shows, group tours, leisure, and sports events; and
WHEREAS, Jim Garrett’s 28 years of service and dedication made Visit Chicago Southland one of the finest tourism organizations in the State of Illinois and the nation; and
WHEREAS, Jim Garrett’s distinguished career prior to Visit Chicago Southland includes serving as Executive Director for the Cedar Rapids Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vice President for the Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Director of Sales and Marketing for the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau; and
WHEREAS, during Jim Garrett’s tenure, Visit Chicago Southland earned notable accolades such as the 2024 Illinois Excellence in Tourism Award for Best Website and the Diversity Inc’s 2011 Community Spirit Award, while Jim Garrett himself received prestigious honors including the Illinois State Soccer Association’s Presidential Award, the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association’s 2007 Ambassador of Hospitality Award, and the Upper Midwest Convention and Visitor Bureau’s 2012 Individual Professionalism and Lifetime Achievement Award, and recognition as one of the Chicago Southland’s Five Most Influential Leaders by Midwest Publishing - Elite Magazine; and
WHEREAS, Jim Garrett has attained several industry certifications from the World Tourism Management Center at Purdue University, is an accredited CDME - Certified Destination Management Executive - the highest individual education achievement in the tourism industry, and has served on numerous committees and boards including the President’s Advisory Board at Governor’s State University, the Executive Advisory Council at St. Xavier’s University, and the Executive Committee of the Illinois Council of Convention and Visitors Bureau.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and members of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, hereby honor and commend Jim Garrett for his outstanding service, dedication, and leadership over the past 28 years, extend our deepest appreciation for his significant contributions to the tourism industry, and wish him health, happiness, and fulfillment in his well-deserved retirement; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be presented to Jim Garret as a token of our heartfelt gratitude and admiration, serving as a testament to his remarkable career and the profound impact his service has had on the lives of others.
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