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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING MS. ROCHELLE R. JACKSON, FOR HER LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE TO THE NORTH LAWNDALE COMMUNITY AND THE CHICAGO-LAND AREA
WHEREAS, ROCHELLE R. JACKSON was born and raised in the section of North Lawndale known as K-Town, attended Mason Elementary, Farragut High School and Wilbur Wright College, and still currently resides in North Lawndale; and
WHEREAS, Rochelle has been employed at Juvenile Protective Association (JPA) for the past 32 years, and has held several positions while at JPA. In her current position as the Administrative Specialist, she manages all of JPA’s donations and receivables for the organization donor’s log; and
WHEREAS, in her early years at JPA as a Research Assistant, Rochelle coordinated the recruitment and follow-up of participants in The Capella Project, known as LONGSCAN which was a 20 year longitudinal study of high risk families with a history of child maltreatment, extreme poverty, prenatal exposure to alcohol and other drugs, and exposure to neighborhood violence; and
WHEREAS, due to Rochelle’s efforts, study participants doubled in the first four years of the study, and in 2014, Rochelle recruited 114 of the youth participants of the LONGSCAN study who are now adults to participate in an online survey for the National Institute for Drug Administration study; and
WHEREAS, when the LONGSCAN study ended, Rochelle served as the Administrative Coordinator of the Parenting Assessment Team where she assisted clients with severe mental health issues transition into participation with Parenting Assessment Team (PAT) and/or Permanency Planning (PP) for Parenting Capacity Assessments, where she conducted initial release of information interviews and scheduled Parenting Capacity Assessments with parents and caseworkers; and
WHEREAS, Rochelle, serves as the Transportation/Infrastructure Committee Chair of the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council (NLCCC) where she serves tirelessly with a group of committed committee members to improve infrastructure and public transportation in North Lawndale. In the Spring of 2020, her team was very instrumental in bringing an extension of the 157 Streeterville/Taylor bus route back to the west end of the North Lawndale Community. She also participated in the Homan/Kedzie Blue Line Walkability Project to improve public safety for the community through art, better infrastructure and lighting for the area. Her current task is reimagining Franklin Park and bringing more amenities to the park to increase walkability, activities and evening events as well as enhance the current programs already established to the park. She also serves on the NLCCC Education/CAC and Steering Committees, Franklin Park Advisory Council and the Farragut Alumni Picnic Committee; and
WHEREAS, In the Summer of 2021, Rochelle was honored a one of “North Lawndale Living Legends;” and
WHEREAS, In December 2021, was honored by the Active Transportation Alliance as “City Neighborhood Advocate of the Year;” and
WHEREAS, Rochelle is an avid crocheter, and has an annual “Hats for Homeless” project where she makes hats for the homeless and chooses a shelter that provides temporary housing and other resources for the un-housed communities around the city. She loves just making things and donating them for worthy causes and teaches crochet classes at the Douglass Branch Library on Thursday evenings, and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer of the 2nd District on behalf of President Toni Preckwinkle, the Cook County Board of Commissioners and on behalf of the over five million residents of Cook County, on this 13th day of January, do hereby recognized ROCHELLE R. JACKSON. for her Outstanding Leadership and Social Services at JPA and in the North Lawndale, and so wish ROCHELLE R. JACKSON. every continued success in his future endeavors.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be tendered to ROCHELLE R. JACKSON… and a copy is spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body.
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