HR0127LRB097 10791 KXB 51567 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The annual University of Illinois-Chicago Gender
3and Women's Studies Program's Women's History Month Reception
4honors Civic Engagement, Community Service, and Community
5Organizing (CECSCO) Award recipients; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Currently, Robyn Gabel serves in the Illinois
7General Assembly as the State Representative from the 18th
8District, representing parts of Rogers Park, Evanston,
9Kenilworth, Wilmette, Winnetka, and Glencoe; she was appointed
10on April 18, 2010 after she won the primary race in February
11and then was sworn in on January 12, 2011 for a two-year term;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, Throughout her career, Robyn Gabel has maintained
14a strong commitment to serving the people of Illinois as an
15advocate for women and working families; she began her career
16as an educator in a women's health center, later serving as the
17training coordinator and eventually co-director of other
18health centers; as her interest in public service increased,
19she became a legislative assistant to then-Alderman Luis
20Gutierrez in Chicago, where she was responsible for the
21development of policy positions and legislation for
22healthcare, housing, and economic development; and
 

 

 

HR0127- 2 -LRB097 10791 KXB 51567 r

1    WHEREAS, She then took a position as the Executive Director
2of the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition, which she
3led from 1988 to 2010; she used her expertise to lead advocacy
4and education activities to increase access to healthcare for
5women, children, and families, school-based health services,
6and substance abuse treatment centers; while at the Coalition,
7she helped develop the KidCare health insurance program for
8over 200,000 children and pregnant women; and
 
9    WHEREAS, She helped lead efforts to establish the Illinois
10All Kids program, giving every child in Illinois access to
11quality, affordable healthcare; there are now over 2.2 million
12children and their parents enrolled in All Kids and FamilyCare;
13she also led efforts to give 500,000 adults access to dental
14care; and
 
15    WHEREAS, In April 2005, she received a Fellowship for
16Community Leaders Award from the Chicago Community Trust and
17spent the year researching the "Hispanic paradox" as it
18pertains to Mexican-American women and their infants' birth
19outcomes, as well as programs to address immigrant health in
20Europe; and
 
21    WHEREAS, She has received a number of awards for her work
22for Illinois families, including the Women's Health Activism
23Award from Grace Today Magazine (2007), the President's Award

 

 

HR0127- 3 -LRB097 10791 KXB 51567 r

1of the Illinois Public Health Association (1998), and the Child
2Advocate Award of the Infant Welfare Society (1998); she is a
3member of the Delta Omega Honorary Public Health Society; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Representative Gabel received her B.A. in
5Anthropology from Beloit College in 1975, her M.S. in Public
6Health from the University of Illinois, Chicago in 1979, and
7her M.J. in health law from Loyola University Chicago Law
8School in 1996; and
 
9    WHEREAS, She will receive the Civic Engagement, Community
10Service, and Community Organizing (CECSCO) Award during the
11annual University of Illinois-Chicago Gender and Women's
12Studies Program's Women's History Month Reception on March 4,
132011; therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
16we congratulate State Representative Robyn Gabel on receiving
17this award and wish her continued success for years to come;
18and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to State Representative Robyn Gabel as a symbol of
21our respect and esteem.