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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF MARIA WHELAN
WHEREAS, Maria Whelan, one of Illinois' most impactful and effective advocates of early childhood education died suddenly on June 11, 2020. She was the longtime President and CEO of Illinois Action for Children, after working at The Carole Robertson Center for Learning and Erie Neighborhood House; and
WHEREAS, Maria was born to Mary and Duane Whelan on December 4, 1950 in the Northwest woods of East Hampton, New York. She was the third of twelve children and grew up in a home full of stories, songs, art, debate, social activism, literature and noise. A self-described "failure" as a high school student, she thrived at Clarke College, where she was surrounded by women who became her lifelong sisterhood, and where she first learned to recognize and apply her sharp intellect. She later earned a Master's degree in Social Services from The University of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, an authority in the early care and education field, Maria possesses over 30 years of experience in human services. Prior to joining Illinois Action for Children, she served as the founding Executive Director of the Carole Robertson Center for Learning. when Maria first began working at the St. Mary's school that became the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, she knew little about early childhood education or running an organization. That did not stop her. Over the next sixteen years, she helped grow the Center into the multicultural nonprofit partnership among parents, youth and communities on Chicago's West Side providing high quality early childhood education to children; and
WHEREAS, Maria embodied the Illinois Action for Children's mission to support strong families and powerful communities where children matter most, by working to advance innovative social service programs and responsive public policies that improve conditions for low-income families in Illinois. She studied early childhood practices and polici...
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