HR1072 LRB093 22610 HSS 52204 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the
3 State of Illinois learned with deep regret of the untimely
4 death of Launa T. Thompson on Sunday, June 20, 2004; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Mrs. Thompson was a native of Detroit; she earned
6 a bachelor's degree in sociology and vocational rehabilitation
7 from Wilberforce University in Ohio and a master's degree in
8 guidance and counseling from the University of Cincinnati;
9 after several years as a social worker, she began her career in
10 sales for Dun & Bradstreet in Glen Ellyn; in 1980, she moved to
11 WVON/WGCI Radio, where she quickly established herself as a
12 broadcast professional by maintaining budgets, showing a
13 strong billing performance, and creatively generating retail
14 and agency accounts; and
 
15     WHEREAS, In 1985, she left the station and worked briefly
16 as a newspaper marketing manager for Gannett Corporation before
17 becoming a local sales manager for WBBM-FM; a year later, she
18 and her husband, Abe, a broadcaster, moved to work as a team
19 for WRIF in Southfield, Michigan; when that station was sold,
20 she returned to WBBM-FM as national sales manager; she also
21 worked as local sales manager for WFYR and senior account
22 manager with Black Entertainment Television; she returned to
23 WGCI in 1994 as national account manager and became general
24 sales manager in 1996; and
 
25     WHEREAS, In eight years, Mrs. Thompson and her staff
26 generated more than $200 million in sales revenue; her unique
27 ability to lead an aggressive professional sales staff earned
28 WGCI-AM/FM the distinction of being the number one billing
29 radio station in Chicago for advertising sales revenue in 1999
30 and the number one billing urban station in the nation; last
31 November, she was named manager of three Clear Channel Chicago
32 stations, WGCI-AM (now WGRB), WGCI-FM, and WVAZ-FM; and
 

 

 

HR1072 - 2 - LRB093 22610 HSS 52204 r

1     WHEREAS, The Chicago Sun-Times named her one of the ten
2 most powerful women in Chicago media; the trade publication
3 Radio Ink named her one of the most influential African
4 Americans in radio; she received the Kizzy Image and
5 Achievement Award from the Black Women's Hall of Fame
6 Foundation and honors from Radio & Records and the Broadcast
7 Advertising Club of Chicago; and
 
8     WHEREAS, She led numerous community outreach efforts,
9 providing hundreds of hours of volunteer work; she served on a
10 number of boards, including the Wilberforce Alumni
11 Association, the League of Black Women, Black Ensemble Theatre,
12 American Women in Radio and Television, Friends of LaRabida
13 Hospital, Midwest Women's Center and ETA; she was an active
14 member of Apostolic Church of God; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Mrs. Thompson is remembered as an easygoing boss
16 who inspired loyalty; she was an accomplished public speaker
17 and she served as a mentor for individuals aspiring to enter
18 the broadcast sales profession; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Her passing has been deeply felt by many,
20 especially her husband, the noted author and broadcaster, Abe
21 Thompson; her mother, Daisy Gaines; and her son, Phoenix
22 Gaines; therefore, be it
 
23     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
24 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
25 mourn the passing of Launa T. Thompson, and we extend our
26 deepest sympathy to her family, friends, colleagues, and all
27 who knew and loved her; and be it further
 
28     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
29 presented to the family of Launa T. Thompson as an expression
30 of our sincerest condolences.