Bill Text: IL HR0187 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Congratulates Dr. Stuart Strahl on his tenure and retirement as president and CEO of the Chicago Zoological Society.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-04-13 - Resolution Adopted [HR0187 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-HR0187-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives are pleased to congratulate Dr. Stuart Strahl | ||||||
4 | on his retirement as president and chief executive officer of | ||||||
5 | the Chicago Zoological Society after 18 years of service; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Dr. Strahl has served as the Chicago Zoological | ||||||
7 | Society's (the Society) president and CEO since 2003; he has | ||||||
8 | guided the Society in its mission to inspire conservation | ||||||
9 | leadership by engaging people and communities with wildlife | ||||||
10 | and nature; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Dr. Strahl received his Bachelor of Arts degree | ||||||
12 | in Biology from Bates College, his Ph.D. in Biology from the | ||||||
13 | State University of New York at Albany, and a Doctor of Humane | ||||||
14 | Letters degree from Dominican University; a well-respected | ||||||
15 | author and distinguished lecturer, he is the principal author | ||||||
16 | of numerous scientific and popular publications and served for | ||||||
17 | over 10 years as the founding chair of the IUCN/SSC Specialist | ||||||
18 | Group on the Avian Family Cracidae; he also has considerable | ||||||
19 | background in higher education and has served as adjunct | ||||||
20 | faculty at the University of Florida, State University of New | ||||||
21 | York, and Washington College, among others; and
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22 | WHEREAS, A career conservationist with 35 years of |
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1 | experience in applied science, restoration ecology, public | ||||||
2 | policy and not-for-profit management, Dr. Strahl is | ||||||
3 | experienced in bringing together diverse interests around | ||||||
4 | conservation causes; he began his career as a field biologist | ||||||
5 | and later served as the founding director of the Latin | ||||||
6 | American Programs for the Wildlife Conservation Society; his | ||||||
7 | lasting partnerships in the U.S. and Latin America have | ||||||
8 | resulted in the preservation of over 30 million acres of | ||||||
9 | wildlife habitat and over $18 billion in conservation funding; | ||||||
10 | prior to arriving at the Chicago Zoological Society, as | ||||||
11 | founding president/CEO of Audubon of Florida, he led the | ||||||
12 | National Audubon Society into prominence as the acknowledged | ||||||
13 | private-sector leader in the largest ecological restoration | ||||||
14 | initiative in history, known as the Comprehensive Everglades | ||||||
15 | Restoration Plan; and
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16 | WHEREAS, Dr. Strahl has served on numerous boards and | ||||||
17 | appointed commissions; he is a member of the board of | ||||||
18 | directors of the Society for Conservation Biology, the Vital | ||||||
19 | Ground Foundation, and the Pickering Creek Audubon Center of | ||||||
20 | the Chesapeake Audubon Society, an elective member of the | ||||||
21 | American Ornithologists' Union, and a professional member of | ||||||
22 | the Boone and Crockett Club, among others; and
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23 | WHEREAS, As president and CEO, Dr. Strahl led the creation | ||||||
24 | of the Chicago Zoological Society's new Centers of Excellence |
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1 | – the Center for the Science of Animal Care & Welfare, which | ||||||
2 | has enhanced high-level animal care in zoos by applying a | ||||||
3 | broad range of sciences to evaluate and improve animal | ||||||
4 | well-being; the Center for Conservation Leadership serves as a | ||||||
5 | nexus for coordinating fieldwork, zoo-based education, and | ||||||
6 | outreach to change the world by inspiring and engaging as many | ||||||
7 | conservation leaders as possible; and
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8 | WHEREAS, The Chicago Zoological Society is world-renowned | ||||||
9 | as a leader in animal welfare and veterinary care and produces | ||||||
10 | award-winning conservation programs for people of all | ||||||
11 | abilities; under Dr. Strahl's direction, the Society has | ||||||
12 | developed new and innovative exhibits as well as enduring | ||||||
13 | partnerships that provide service to urban communities of | ||||||
14 | color, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and other | ||||||
15 | vulnerable populations; and
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16 | WHEREAS, In an effort to connect communities across the | ||||||
17 | region with nature and wildlife, Dr. Strahl encouraged the | ||||||
18 | distribution of millions of free zoo passes in under-resourced | ||||||
19 | communities; he also fostered the creation of an Animal | ||||||
20 | Ambassador program, which brings the zoo's animals outside the | ||||||
21 | park to meet with community members who would not otherwise be | ||||||
22 | able to visit the zoo; and
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23 | WHEREAS, A passionate advocate for veterans and their |
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1 | families, Dr. Strahl developed strong partnerships with local | ||||||
2 | VA Hospitals and veteran groups, including the Wounded Warrior | ||||||
3 | Project, which holds an annual Soldier Ride at Brookfield Zoo; | ||||||
4 | under his direction, to honor their service, the zoo became | ||||||
5 | free for all active, reservist, and retired members of the | ||||||
6 | military; and
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7 | WHEREAS, During Dr. Strahl's tenure, Brookfield Zoo | ||||||
8 | welcomed its 150,000,000th guest and was the most popular paid | ||||||
9 | cultural attraction in the Midwest; it also became the first | ||||||
10 | zoo in the world to receive humane certification from the | ||||||
11 | American Humane Society for its exemplary animal care and | ||||||
12 | welfare; and
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13 | WHEREAS, Brookfield Zoo's campus grew and modernized under | ||||||
14 | Dr. Strahl; this growth fulfilled aspects of a strategic plan | ||||||
15 | focused on animal welfare and the engagement of diverse | ||||||
16 | communities; historical exhibits were transformed into Great | ||||||
17 | Bear Wilderness and Regenstein Wolf Woods, which showcase | ||||||
18 | endangered species of North America; the Children's Zoo became | ||||||
19 | Hamill Family Wild Encounters, which highlights opportunities | ||||||
20 | to get up close and personal with nature; the original Reptile | ||||||
21 | House was transformed into the Mary Ann MacLean Conservation | ||||||
22 | Leadership Center, which houses all of the zoo's educational | ||||||
23 | outreach programs; the newly constructed Pavilions and Hamill | ||||||
24 | Family Nature Plaza provide spaces for guests to relax during |
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1 | their trip to the zoo; and
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2 | WHEREAS, Dr. Strahl reinforced the Chicago Zoological | ||||||
3 | Society's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and | ||||||
4 | access by implementing comprehensive programs for audience | ||||||
5 | diversity, vendor diversity, and workforce and workplace | ||||||
6 | diversity and inclusion; this was to make Brookfield Zoo an | ||||||
7 | even more welcoming destination for all visitors and to | ||||||
8 | connect people of all backgrounds with conservation through | ||||||
9 | cutting-edge, inclusive programs and experiences; and
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10 | WHEREAS, Under Dr. Strahl's leadership, the Chicago | ||||||
11 | Zoological Society received over 60 awards from local, | ||||||
12 | national, and international organizations for its educational | ||||||
13 | and conservation programs, inclusive practices, and business | ||||||
14 | acumen; these awards include the Institute of Museum and | ||||||
15 | Library Services' National Medal for Museum Service, the | ||||||
16 | Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Angela Petersen Excellence | ||||||
17 | in Diversity Award and Community Engagement Award for the King | ||||||
18 | Conservation Leadership Academy, the Illinois Association of | ||||||
19 | Museums' Large Institution of the Year Award, the Illinois | ||||||
20 | Department of Human Services' Distinguished Service Award for | ||||||
21 | employment of individuals with disabilities, and the Fuller | ||||||
22 | Park Neighborhood Development Corporation's Community Partner | ||||||
23 | of the Year award, among many others; and
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1 | WHEREAS, The year 2021 marks the 100 year anniversary of | ||||||
2 | the creation of the Chicago Zoological Society, the non-profit | ||||||
3 | that runs Brookfield Zoo, by the Forest Preserves of Cook | ||||||
4 | County; during his time as CEO, Dr. Strahl strengthened this | ||||||
5 | enduring public private partnership by helping to shape and | ||||||
6 | advance a common recreational, educational, and conservation | ||||||
7 | mission; he served on the Next Century Conservation Plan | ||||||
8 | Commission and Steering Committee where he proposed bold | ||||||
9 | actions to make Cook County a national leader in urban | ||||||
10 | conservation; he was also instrumental in several successful | ||||||
11 | governmental funding efforts that brought much needed revenue | ||||||
12 | to the Forest Preserves of Cook County, the Brookfield Zoo, | ||||||
13 | and the Chicago Botanic Garden; and
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14 | WHEREAS, An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Strahl and his family | ||||||
15 | enjoy exploring remote natural areas and look forward to | ||||||
16 | spending more time in the wilderness; therefore, be it
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17 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
18 | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
19 | we congratulate Dr. Stuart Strahl on his retirement, commend | ||||||
20 | his dedication, service, and enormous contribution as | ||||||
21 | president and CEO of the Chicago Zoological Society, and wish | ||||||
22 | him well in all of his future endeavors; and be it further
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23 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
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1 | presented to Dr. Stuart Strahl as a symbol of our respect and | ||||||
2 | esteem.
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