093_HR0281

 
                                     LRB093 11726 HSS 15507 r

 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The members of the House of  Representatives  of
 3    the  State  of Illinois wish to congratulate Jess McDonald on
 4    the occasion of his retirement as the  Director  of  Children
 5    and Family Services after 9 years of service; and

 6        WHEREAS,  Mr. McDonald was appointed Director of Children
 7    and Family Services by Governor George Ryan  and  has  served
 8    continuously  since  June  2, 1994; as Director, Mr. McDonald
 9    was responsible for  overseeing  the  activities  of  a  $1.3
10    billion  cabinet  level  child  welfare agency serving 32,000
11    children; and

12        WHEREAS, Mr. McDonald has served as  a  DCFS  caseworker,
13    legislative   analyst   for   the  Appropriations  and  Human
14    Resources Committee of the Illinois House of Representatives,
15    Executive Deputy Director of DCFS, chief of  the  Health  and
16    Social  Services  Division  in  the  Illinois  Bureau  of the
17    Budget, and the Governor's Assistant for Human  Services;  he
18    served  as Executive Director for the Illinois Association of
19    Community Mental Health Agencies from January 1991  to  March
20    1992; in March of 1992, Governor Edgar named Mr. McDonald the
21    Director  of  Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities to
22    spearhead major reforms at that  agency,  and  he  held  that
23    position until he became Director of DCFS; and

24        WHEREAS,   Under   Director  McDonald's  leadership,  the
25    Illinois  DCFS  received  several  accolades  including   the
26    Adoption  2002 Excellence Award in Increased Adoptions by the
27    U.S. Department of Health and Human  Services  for  1998  and
28    1999;   accredited   agency   status   from  the  Council  on
29    Accreditation for Children and Family Services in  2000;  the
30    Innovations  in  American  Government  Award  for performance
31    contracting in child welfare, sponsored by Harvard University
32    and the Ford Foundation; and it was named State Agency of the
 
                            -2-      LRB093 11726 HSS 15507 r
 1    Year by the National Foster Parent Association in 1998; and

 2        WHEREAS, Mr. McDonald  holds  a  bachelor's  degree  from
 3    Illinois   State  University,  a  master's  degree  from  the
 4    University   of   Chicago   School    of    Social    Service
 5    Administration,  and  he participated in Harvard University's
 6    John F. Kennedy  School  of  Government  Program  for  Senior
 7    Executives in State and Local Government; and

 8        WHEREAS, Mr. McDonald is a member of several professional
 9    organizations   including  the  Executive  Committee  of  the
10    National Association of Public Child Welfare  Administrators,
11    chair  of  the  Child  and  Family  Services Committee of the
12    American Public Human Services Association, and the Board  of
13    the  Council  on  Social  Work  Education;  he had previously
14    served as the co-chair of the American Public Human  Services
15    Association  Child  Welfare Financing Workgroup and served on
16    the U.S. Department of Health  and  Human  Services  National
17    Consultation Workgroup on Child Welfare Outcome Measures; and

18        WHEREAS, Mr. McDonald valiantly served his country in the
19    U.S.  Army  from  1964 until 1966 with a tour in Vietnam from
20    1965 to 1966; and

21        WHEREAS,  Mr.  McDonald  is  the  recipient  of  numerous
22    individual awards including the Citizen  of  the  Year  Award
23    from  the  National  Association  of  Social Workers Illinois
24    Chapter Southern Illinois District in 2002; the University of
25    Chicago  Professional  Achievement  Citation  in  1999;   the
26    Service  and  Recognition  Award  for  Outstanding Service to
27    Foster Parents in Illinois from the  National  Foster  Parent
28    Association,  Inc.  in  1998;  the  Social Worker of the Year
29    Award from the Springfield Illinois Chapter of  the  National
30    Association of Social Workers in 1998; the Motorola Award for
31    Excellence  in  Public  Services  in  1997;  and the Award of
32    Excellence in Public Child Welfare  Administration  from  the
 
                            -3-      LRB093 11726 HSS 15507 r
 1    National  Association  of Public Child Welfare Administrators
 2    in 1996; therefore, be it

 3        RESOLVED,  BY  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES   OF   THE
 4    NINETY-THIRD  GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
 5    we commend Director  Jess  McDonald  on  his  hard  work  and
 6    dedication  to  the children of Illinois and congratulate him
 7    on the occasion of his retirement after nine years of service
 8    as the Director of Children and Family Services;  and  be  it
 9    further

10        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this resolution be
11    presented to Jess McDonald as a  token  of  our  respect  and
12    esteem and with best wishes for his future endeavors.