RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF APRIL 9, 2015
Title
RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners recognizing the 2015 inductees into the Irish American Hall of Fame
Body
WHEREAS, celebrating its fifth year, the Irish American Hall of Fame (IAHOF) recognizes the contributions of outstanding Irish Americans; and
WHEREAS, the IAHOF announces the inductees with an Awards Gala on April 25, 2015 at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, preserving and promoting the stories of the Irish in America and the ongoing links between Ireland and the United States remains the goal of the IAHOF; and
WHEREAS, the IAHOF is driven to preserve the story of the Irish in America and become a resource for those interested in the development and history of America; and
WHEREAS, founded by members of the Chicago-based Irish American Heritage Center, the IAHOF is overseen by a separate governing committee and has a national focus; and
WHEREAS, the mission of the IAHOF is to recognize and honor outstanding contributions of Irish Americans to society in the areas of Arts and Humanities, Business and Industry, Public Service, Sports, Religion, Education and Science; and
WHEREAS, inductees are honored with a display at the Irish American Heritage Center and information on the inductees will also be provided online; and
WHERAS, candidates must have a parent of Irish heritage, must be a U.S. citizen or have been a full-time resident of the United States for an extended period of time and must have distinguished him/herself in one or more of the award categories; and
WHEREAS, anyone can nominate a candidate for the IAHOF by providing the name of the nominee, category of note and a brief description of the worthiness of the candidate; and
WHEREAS, the Hall of Fame Governing Body along with a specially-selected, diverse group of individuals from across a wide range of disciplines, including those covered by the award categories, review and vet all nominations and select a slate of candidates to be put forth in an election; and
WHEREAS, the voting body is a national body of distinguished individuals representing academia, government, and Irish-affiliated organizations from around the United States who vote on the slate of candidates presented by the Screening Committee; and
WHEREAS, the 2015 inductees to the Irish American Hall of Fame by category are: John Huston, Eugene "Gene" Curran Kelly and George "Bob" Newhart for Arts and Humanities; Sister Sheila Lyne. RSM for Business and Industry; Justice Anne McGlone Burke for Public Service; Ben Hogan for Sports; Father Jack Wall for Religion; Mother Frances Xavier Warde, RSM for Education; Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD for Science; and Billy Lawless as Hometown Hero; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, on behalf of ourselves and staff, do hereby recognize the 2015 inductees to the Irish American Hall of Fame; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be spread upon the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
Dated: April 9, 2015
Approved: MARIYANA T. SPYROPOULOS, President; BARBARA J. MCGOWAN, Vice President; FRANK AVILA, Chairman, Committee on Finance; MICHAEL A. ALVAREZ; TIMOTHY BRADFORD; CYNTHIA M. SANTOS; DEBRA SHORE; KARI K. STEELE; PATRICK D. THOMPSON; Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Approved as to Form and Legality: Ronald M. Hill, General Counsel