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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF DR. PATRICIA EFIOM
WHEREAS, Dr. Patricia Efiom, former Chief Equity Officer for the city of Evanston and former senior pastor of Ebenezer A.M.E. Church in Evanston, died Sunday, September 5, 2021, at the age of 60; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Efiom was a trained diversity, equity and inclusion facilitator with subject matter expertise in racial equity, social justice, and organizational change management. She had a lifelong passion for racial equity and social justice advocacy and was known for her ability to build and maintain relationships across lines of differences. Pat worked across many disciplines including local government, higher education, nonprofit, and corporate. Her love of diverse culture and traditions provided her the opportunity to do equity work across the United States as well as in Jamaica, India, Mexico, and West Africa; and
WHEREAS, as the Chief Equity Officer for the city of Evanston from 2017 to 2020, she led a citywide effort to develop an equity action plan that would embed equity in all city operations. She also established Evanston’s Equity & Empowerment Commission. During her tenure, Efiom led a series of community workshops that addressed racial understanding following the highly publicized national Philadelphia Starbucks incident when an employee called the police on two African American men who were waiting in the store but had not ordered anything. “We all come to situations with our implicit biases,” Efiom said. “How do we move forward in a way that prevents these things from happening?”; and
WHEREAS, Efiom was instrumental in the early conceptualization of Evanston’s reparations program. Ridgeville Park District built on her work in 2020 to create the Ridgeville Park District’s first racial equity climate policy. In addition to her job as Chief Equity Officer for the city of Evanston, she founded a diversity consulting firm, Efiom & Associates LLC.; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Efiom is a graduate of Indiana University, Christian Theological Seminary, and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary where she remained on the faculty until her death; and
WHEREAS, as senior pastor at Ebenezer from 2000 to 2016, Efiom was very active in the community, working with other faith leaders in the 2nd and 5th Wards to address issues of youth violence and other concerns through the Evanston Own It organization; and
WHEREAS, earlier in her career Efiom worked as an administrator at Indiana University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in communication and a master’s in instructional systems technology; and
WHEREAS, Pat lived in Evanston where she enjoyed spending time with her husband of 40 years and traveling to see her grandchildren.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, on behalf of the 5.2 million residents of Cook County, honors the work and contributions of Dr. Patricia Efiom, and herewith expresses its sincere gratitude for the invaluable contributions she made to the Citizens of Cook County, Illinois; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body and that an official copy of same be tendered to the family of Dr. Patricia Efiom.
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