RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF MARCH 7, 2019
Title
RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners recognizing Lee (Carman) Botts for her 91st birthday
Body
WHEREAS, water unifies all of us on Earth, regardless of age, race, gender, religious belief or other personal history; and
WHEREAS, the Great Lakes are home to 20 percent of the Earth’s fresh surface water, a natural resource that is becoming more and more precious; and
WHEREAS, Lake Michigan, being one of the five Great Lakes, is the largest lake in the United States and as such is increasingly dependent on the actions taken by agencies, businesses, and individuals to safeguard it; and
WHEREAS, individual leadership has always been the driving force behind inspiring more people to act, whether in their houses of worship, places of work, or homes to restore and protect our waterways; and
WHEREAS, increasingly over the decades, the demand for inspiring, personal leadership to safeguard our waterways has never been greater; and
WHEREAS, Lee (Carman) Botts was born February 25, 1928, in Mooreland, Oklahoma and grew up during the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, resulting in an appreciation for how water supports all life, moved to Chicago in 1949 and was awed by Lake Michigan, thereby working earnestly in the 1960s to protect it; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Botts established the Lake Michigan Federation in Chicago in 1970, serving as its first executive secretary and one of the first women executives in the history of U.S. environmental non-governmental organizations; and
WHEREAS, in 1977 President Jimmy Carter appointed Ms. Botts to serve as executive director of the Great Lakes Basin Commission in Ann Arbor, Michigan; and
WHEREAS, in 1986 Ms. Botts ran for commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (then the Metropolitan Sanitary District) at a time of significant barriers to women advancing in politics, specifically women who came from outside connected political circles; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Botts led the establishment of the Indiana Dunes Environmental Learning Center in 1997 to educate young people about the unique ecological importance of our region; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Botts has spent decades campaigning, educating and advocating for healthy, clean and safe water; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s Board of Commissioners honor Ms. Botts during National Women’s History Month and celebrate her 91st birthday, with indebtedness for her tenacity, foresight and mentorship for successive generations to steward the water that supports life for all.
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, and that a copy of same, suitably engrossed, be presented to Lee (Carman) Botts.
Dated: March 7, 2019
Approved as to Form and Legality: Susan T. Morakalis, General Counsel