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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING MARÍA PESQUEIRA ON HER 16-YEAR TENURE AT MUJERES LATINAS EN ACCIÓN (MLEA)
WHEREAS, María Pesqueira has been a passionate servant-leader in Chicagoland's Latino community in the areas of philanthropic and public service for over two decades; and
WHEREAS, María has been President and CEO of Mujeres Latinas en Acción (MLEA) since 2000 and has helped the agency grow from a small facility at 17th Street and Wood Street to a much larger newly renovated building in 2006; and
WHEREAS, as President and CEO of MLEA, María has expanded capacity dramatically for programs around gender violence prevention and intervention, leadership development, community engagement, and economic empowerment for Latinas and their families and has expanded programming to include economic empowerment and violence prevention for young men; and
WHEREAS, also under María’s leadership, MLEA opened an office in Cicero to work with the growing suburban Latino population and include programs to help meet the great demand for bilingual/bicultural services in suburban Cook County; and
WHEREAS, during María’s tenure, MLEA has become nationally recognized for its services, impact, management practices, fiscal integrity and has withstood the fearsome state budget crises of the past few years; and
WHEREAS, María has been a tireless advocate for the advancement of women and girls particularly as those rights pertain to Latinas, whether immigrant Latinas or U.S. - born; and
WHEREAS, María ensures that the voice of the community is heard at the local, state, and national levels while also helping to empower women to raise their own voices in the fights that matter most to families and communities; and
WHEREAS, María has been an activist in the areas of immigration, healthcare, LGBTQ equality, empowering women/girls, and more; and
WHEREAS, María has made a noticeable impact in our community with her longstanding dedication and commitment to MLEA and the families they serve; and
WHEREAS, on April 3, 2017, it was formally announced that María, after her 16-year tenure, will be stepping down as President and CEO of MLEA on April 30, 2017; and
WHEREAS, María has dedicated her life to advocacy, justice, equity, collaborative effort, and philanthropy, which she will continue to foster in her new role as President of the Healthy Communities Foundation, previously known as the Arthur Foundation.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board Of Commissioners hereby honors María Pesqueira for her 16-year tenure at Mujeres Latinas en Acción (MLEA), thanks her for her dedication to the residents of Cook County, and wishes her the best of luck in her new role as President of Healthy Communities Foundation ; 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 María Pesqueira.
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