MEMORIAL RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF JULY 11, 2024
Title
MEMORIAL RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners celebrating the life of Dennis Deer
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WHEREAS, Cook County Board Commissioner Dennis Deer was born and raised in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the west side of Chicago, where he was a student at Collins High School (now known as Collins Academy High School). Following graduation, Commissioner Deer attended Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary/Special Education, a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Psychology, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Psychology; and
WHEREAS, after returning home, Commissioner Deer served as the director of a drug treatment facility and counseling center in the Lawndale neighborhood. Commissioner Deer was a certified rehabilitation counselor, a licensed clinical professional counselor, a clinically certified forensic counselor, a certified corrective thinking therapist, a cognitive restructuring national trainer, and a certified Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards instructor; and
WHEREAS, in 2017, Commissioner Deer was appointed to fill a vacancy for the 2nd District on the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Subsequently, in 2018 he was elected and then re-elected in 2022 to retain his seat on the Board of Commissioners. In his role, Commissioner Deer served as the Chairman of the Cook County Health and Hospitals Committee, whereby he sponsored resolutions to declare mental health a public health crisis. Commissioner Deer is appreciated as being a staunch advocate for equality, particularly in the arenas of economic development, affordable housing, re-entry, education, health care, employment, and training; and
WHEREAS, in addition to his role as a Cook County Board Commissioner, Commissioner Deer served on the National Institute of Health, the Strategic Human Services and North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council, the Illinois Department of Human Services Domestic Violence Advisory Council, the Partner Abuse Intervention Programs Subcommittee, the Executive Steering Committee of Domestic Violence Accountability Council, and as Vice President of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and
WHEREAS, on June 23, 2024, Commissioner Deer passed away, leaving to continue his legacy his wife Barbara and his children Kaleb, Kanaan, and Trinity. Commissioner Deer’s memory will be honored by an abundance of people whose lives he touched through his advocacy work as well as his family, friends, and members of the community; and
WHEREAS, Commissioner Deer was a true champion for the residents of Cook County. His robust advocacy, passionate oration, and unique problem-solving skills will long be remembered; 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 our staff, do hereby extend our condolences to the family of Dennis Deer; 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 Dennis Deer.
Dated: July 11, 2024