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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
MARY ELLEN GUEST, IN MEMORIAM
WHEREAS Almighty God in His infinite wisdom has called Mary Ellen Guest from our midst, and
WHEREAS Mary Ellen Guest was the loving mother of James Schulte (Katie Grogan) and Johnny Schulte, proud grandmother of Jack and Mairead Schulte, devoted daughter of the late Ronald and Helen (nee Keane) Guest, loving and dear sister of Cathy Guest (Tom Gerk), Eileen Guest, Ret. Sgt. CPD, Tim Guest (Ruth Degnan), and Patrick Guest (Laura Arvesen Guest), and beloved aunt to many nieces and nephews, and
WHREAS Mary Ellen Guest was deeply rooted in Chicago’s South Side, dedicating her career and being committed to its residents and neighborhoods. She began her career in Democratic political campaigns and later served as executive director of Working in the Schools (WITS) and A+ Illinois, and
WHEREAS Mary Ellen Guest joined the Chicago Bungalow Association on March 1, 2010, and led the organization for more than 16 years. Under her leadership, CBA advanced its mission of helping residents preserve their homes and remain in their communities through energy-efficiency programs, homeowner education, neighborhood advocacy, and housing preservation,
WHEREAS from 2018 through 2025, CBA and its partners completed more than 9,400 energy-efficiency projects, providing no-cost improvements to income-qualified households throughout Chicago and the surrounding region. These figures represent only part of the energy-efficiency assistance delivered during Mary Ellens tenure, and
WHEREAS Mary Ellen believed that effective community service began with listening to residents. She personally participated in dozens of neighborhood and community events each year and helped build relationships that connected homeowners with resources for repairs energy efficiency, property taxes, estate planning, and other needs, and
WHEREAS Under Mary Ellen’s leadership, CBA’s sustained advocacy helped make health and safety funding available within utility programs, allowing homeowners with repairs needed to receive improvements that had previously been out of reach, and
WHEREAS during Mary Ellen’s tenure, CBA expanded its energy-efficiency work beyond single-family homes to include two-and three-flat buildings and other Chicago-style vintage housing, and
WHEREAS Mary Ellen supported the CBA’s growth as a trusted source of free homeowner education, with 17 webinars reaching more than 5,000 attendees and participation in more than 70 community events in 2024, and
WHEREAS Mary Ellen supported CBA’s partnership with artist Tonika Lewis Johnson on UnBlocked Englewood, combining home repairs with resident-led neighborhood improvements while addressing the lasting effects of discriminatory housing practices, and
WHEREAS Mary Ellen was a passionate follower of news and politics, she believed public service should create tangible improvements in people’s everyday lives, and
WHEREAS all who knew her will attest that Mary Ellen Guest was a kind and compassionate woman, virtuous of character and gentle in spirit, admired and respected by her many friends and neighbors, and dearly loved by her family, now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Commissioners of Cook County that the Board does hereby extend its deepest condolences and most heartfelt sympathy to the family and many friends of Mary Ellen Guest and joins them in sorrow at this time of loss, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this text be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body, and an official copy of same be presented to the family of Mary Ellen Guest that her memory may be so honored and ever cherished.
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