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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DION ELIOT MILLER-PÉREZ
WHEREAS, Almighty God in His infinite wisdom has called Dion Eliot Miller-Pérez from our midst on July 26, 2018 at the age of 56; and
WHEREAS, Dion was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 24, 1961 to Dr. Angela Pérez-Miller and John Miller; and
WHEREAS, Dion learned his work at the feet of his mother, Dr. Angela Pérez-Miller, an educator and activist and was inspired by her to be a leader and voice for the oppressed; and
WHEREAS, Dion demonstrated to be a smart and caring individual and was later known to be a gentle yet powerful man; and
WHEREAS, in 1988, Dion married his soul mate, Susan Mullen, an artist and longtime art teacher at Wells High School; and
WHEREAS, earlier in life, Dion took a shot at being a political headliner, running for the 12th Ward aldermanic seat, but he found his home behind the scenes, training volunteers and managing campaigns, which suited his natural gift for teaching, building relationships and community organizing; and
WHEREAS, when the City of Chicago founded Local School Councils (LSC), Dion was among the first elected to serve. He served at three elementary school councils: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Burroughs Elementary School and William F. Finkl Academy; and
WHEREAS, as a staffer for the Neighborhood Capital Budget Group, Dion fought for equity in school construction spending which he cared deeply about; and
WHEREAS, at the Cross-City Campaign for Urban School Reform, Dion dedicated his time to teaching LSCs and community organizations how to evaluate local schools and district budgets; and
WHEREAS, the most formative experience of his career came between 2005 and 2009, when Dion served as Executive Director of the Telpochcalli Community Education Project (TCEP). There, Dion created space for women and young people in Little Village, his neighborhood, to build community, speak truth to power and forge their own destinies; and
WHEREAS, when nonprofits were struggling during the recession, Dion chose to move on and made room for longtime organizer María Velázquez to move into the role of executive director, and
WHEREAS, Dion served in the Cook County Board of Commissioner’s Office, Cook County Justice Advisory Council, and the Cook County Department of Human Rights and Ethics; and
WHEREAS, although he loved to write, Dion’s legacy will not only live in his writings - it will be most pronounced in the lives of the many young people of Little Village he nurtured-artists, fighters and community builders-including his three sons; and
WHEREAS, Dion fought tirelessly to upend racism, classism and sexism; and
WHEREAS, Dion is survived by his wife and best friend Susan Mullen; and three children - Donovan, Manuel, and Antonio; and
WHEREAS, Dion will always be remembered as a longtime political operative, public education advocate, a passionate advocate for systematic racial justice, fighter for equity and social justice, faithful friend, and loving father and husband. The Little Village community is saddened to lose such an amazing leader who fought for the Latino community with such hard work and compassion.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby offer its deepest condolences and most heartfelt sympathy to the family, colleagues, and many friends of Dion Eliot Miller-Pérez, and joins them in sorrow at this time of loss; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be tendered to the family of Dion Eliot Miller-Pérez’s family so that his memory may be honored and ever cherished.
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