RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF NOVEMBER 6, 2025
Title
RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners honoring Debra Shore and Alfred Saucedo for their commitment to public service
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WHEREAS, former Commissioner Debra Shore has dedicated her life to advocating for environmental protection and public health awareness and policies. In doing so, she has fulfilled many roles, including serving on the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (District), founding Chicago Wilderness Magazine, founding member of Friends of the Forest Preserves, and serving as the Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5; and
WHEREAS, former Commissioner Shore’s love for nature inspired her to seek election to the District’s Board of Commissioners in 2006 as one of the first members of the LGBTQ+ community elected to countywide office which she won, and then she was re-elected in 2012 and 2018; and
WHEREAS, during her tenure on the Board of Commissioners (Board), former Commissioner Shore supported the advancement of environmental protection and public health in innumerable ways, with one of her biggest achievements of the District participating in Cook County’s pharmaceutical takeback program. She also championed various initiatives, including the establishment of the District’s Office of the Inspector General, the District’s collaborative 2020-2021 Strategic Planning Initiative, and supporting the LGBTQ+ community including advocating for retirement benefits for same-sex spouses of District retirees. Her work extended beyond the District. She volunteered to assist in the restoration of prairies and oak savannahs, she served as a member of the advisory board for the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant program, as chair of the Board of Directors of the Great Lakes Protection Fund, and on the board of the Illinois Environmental Council; and
WHEREAS, after leaving the District, former Commissioner Shore continued her advocacy, serving as the EPA’s Regional Administrator for Region 5 from October 2021 through January 2025; and
WHEREAS, former Commissioner Shore’s devotion to environmental improvements throughout her decades of work in the public sector is immeasurable; and
WHEREAS, Alfred Saucedo dutifully served Debra at the District and then at the EPA where he served as her Chief of Staff, helped strengthen relationships with American Federation of Government Employees Local 704 and the region’s indigenous tribes, and advocated for the cleanup of Bubbly Creek. Earlier in his career, Alfred served his country as a United States Marine; 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 honor former Commissioner Debra Shore and Alfred Saucedo for their commitment to public service; 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 former Commissioner Debra Shore and Alfred Saucedo.
Dated: November 6, 2025