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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION CONGRATULATING ELIZABETH “BETSY” BAER ON HER RETIREMENT
WHEREAS, Elizabeth “Betsy” Baer was born in Glencoe, Illinois in 1955 to Nanette Talbot and Joseph Winslow Baer; and
WHEREAS, Betsy spent her childhood playing and exploring with her older brother, Richard, and younger sister, Jenni. She remains close to both - calling, texting, and visiting regularly; and
WHEREAS, Betsy attended Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology; and
WHEREAS, after college, Betsy moved to Evanston where she has been a resident for over 30 years; and
WHEREAS, Betsy was the first Director of Marketing for the Kohl Children’s Museum where she worked with the owner, other directors, and staff to raise funds for the museum; and
WHEREAS, Betsy went on the become the Executive Director of GVA Worldwide, an international commercial real estate company with 120 offices globally, where she was responsible for directing the administrative headquarters; and
WHEREAS, after a months-long search Betsy was selected as the Executive Director of the Glenview Chamber of Commerce in November of 2011; and
WHEREAS, Betsy brought her past work experiences and incredible passion to the Executive Director position and netted impressive results for the Glenview Chamber; and
WHEREAS, under Betsy’s leadership, Chamber membership more than doubled, surpassing 500 members; and
WHEREAS, Betsy grew and expanded the Chamber’s existing events, such as the annual Summer Fest sidewalk sale and Holiday in the Park and Parade; and
WHEREAS, Betsy brought new fresh event ideas to the Glenview community; and
WHEREAS, in 2012 Betsy created the inaugural Bites & Brews event allowing members of the public to sample food and beer from local establishments, introducing the public to the Chamber’s members, and letting residents experience new cuisines; and
WHEREAS, in 2019 Betsy kicked off the first Blocktoberfest, a festive block party complete with live music, in the Downtown Glenview area; and
WHEREAS, Betsy leveraged partnerships with the Village of Glenview and Glenview Park District to create more robust programming for both Chamber members and community members; and
WHEREAS, Betsy discovered Chamber-specific travel opportunities for the membership, planning trips to China, South Africa, and Italy; and
WHEREAS, despite the hurdles COVID-19 presented, Betsy was able to keep the Chamber’s programming calendar full, including the creation of the virtual “Ask the Experts” series as a resource for members; and
WHEREAS, above all Betsy created a fun, inviting atmosphere for prospective and long-time members alike; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby congratulate Betsy Baer on her retirement, celebrate her outstanding career, and thank her for her tireless service to the Glenview community; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of the Resolution be tendered to Betsy Baer as a means of communicating our gratitude and well wishes.
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