MEMORIAL RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF APRIL 15, 2010
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MEMORIAL RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners extending sympathy and condolences to the family of Commissioner Thomas S. Fuller. (As Revised)
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WHEREAS, former Commissioner and Board President Thomas S. Fuller was called to eternal rest on March 31, 2010; and
WHEREAS, Thomas Shiloh Fuller was born on October 18, 1934 in Abbeville, South Carolina to Daisy McAdams and Ellis E. Fuller, the last of their seven children; and
WHEREAS, after serving in the United States Army from 1953 to 1955, Tom was honorably discharged; and
WHEREAS, as a student at Allen University, Tom earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology; and
WHEREAS, he further continued his education at Roosevelt University and earned a Masters’ Degree in Public Administration; and
WHEREAS, after seven years in the private sector, Commissioner Fuller began a long and dedicated career serving the public when he accepted a position with the Cook County Department of Public Aid; and
WHEREAS, Tom later went to work at the Independent Union of Social Services Employees as First Vice President, serving as the chief negotiator for salaries and benefits in addition to representing employees with grievances against the state; and
WHEREAS, Commissioner Fuller then accepted a position with the American Hospital Association as the Director of the Division of Community Relations, where he oversaw all consumer related activities and made recommendations for implementing health legislation; and
WHEREAS, throughout this time, Commissioner Fuller continued to work on behalf of the people, designing and implementing the State of Illinois’ first Affirmative Action Plan in addition to consulting with public and private hospitals regarding affirmative action programs; and
WHEREAS, his developed expertise in the Affirmative Action arena led to his appointment as the first Director for the newly legislated Office of Equal Employment Opportunity which during his tenure as the Director saw a forty percent increase in minority employee hiring; and
WHEREAS, subsequently, Commissioner Fuller accepted the position of Chief Custodian of Cook County, a position that made him responsible for the security, maintenance and household functions of multiple County owned buildings and property; and
WHERAS, at the age of 44, Tom was elected countywide as a Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago; and
WHEREAS, only twelve years later, Commissioner Fuller was elected President of the Board of Commissioners by his fellow commissioners, a first for an African American Commissioner; and
WHEREAS, President Fuller continued on his mission of expanding opportunities to minority and female owned businesses, allowing for minority and woman owned business to participate in construction contracts within the District at levels higher than the City of Chicago, Cook County and the State of Illinois combined; and
WHEREAS, President Fuller was passionate about his community and the people in it as evidenced by his roles in the Democratic Party, most notably his years as the President of the Evanston Democratic Party and Evanston Township Committeeman and his candidacy for both the offices of Cook County Sheriff and Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County; and
WHEREAS, his commitment to the public was also evidenced by his years serving as the President of Cook County Board’s Office of Economic Opportunity, overseeing all federal, state and local funds for programs that benefited lower income residents in Cook County; and
WHEREAS, President Fuller was active in many community organizations including the NAACP, the Urban League and Operation Push; and
WHEREAS, he was preceded in death by his best friend, loyal companion and wife, Mary (Jones) Fuller; and
WHEREAS, countless people, including his daughters: Hazel Fuller Jenkins and Toni Fuller Mason, his sons-in-law: Stan Ricks and Ted Mason, his grandchildren: Joni Ricks and Tony Montana Jenkins, his great grandchildren: Jonathan, Arcellis, Chavaliz, and Ernesto, his brother James Ellis Fuller, his sister Mary Crawford, his cousins: Alice and Jim Tregay, his nieces and nephews: Pam and Larry Jefferson, John and Nancy Fuller, his uncles: Brad Jones and Frank Jones, his dear friends: Tom Mosher and Ed Hines and Doris Black (Gayword) mourn the passing of this energetic and involved man who lived a full life, committed to the taxpayers of Cook County and dedicated to a life of public service; and
WHEREAS, the employees of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago owe a great debt to President Fuller for his years of service as both President and Commissioner for providing fair wages, generous benefits and fiscally sound management; 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, extend our sympathy and condolences to the family of President Thomas Shiloh Fuller; 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 and that a copy of same, suitably engrossed, be presented to the family of the President Thomas Shiloh Fuller.
Dated: April 15, 2010
Approved: TERRENCE J. O’BRIEN, President; KATHLEEN THERESE MEANY, Vice-President; GLORIA ALITTO MAJEWSKI, Chairman, Committee on Finance; FRANK AVILA; PATRICIA HORTON; BARBARA J. MCGOWAN; CYNTHIA M. SANTOS; DEBRA SHORE; MARIYANA SPYROPOULOS Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago