HR1341 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1341 LRB097 23627 MST 72691 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor our esteemed former colleague, State Representative Marlow Colvin, for his more than 10 years as a member of the Illinois General Assembly, and we thank him for dedicating his life to serving the people of Chicago and Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Colvin was born in March 1964 in Chicago's Chatham-Avalon Park neighborhood; his father was a union carpenter and box factory worker and his mother was a hotel elevator operator, and they both taught him the importance of hard work, family, and community; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Colvin learned at an early age from the many African-American leaders who came from the Chatham-Avalon Park neighborhood, including his mentor the late John Stroger, Sr., that a community is built on hard work, sacrifice, and giving back; as a young man, Rep. Colvin worked to encourage other young Americans to become active in their government, serving as chairman of the Young Democrats of Cook County and as a board member of the Young Democrats of Illinois and the Young Democrats of America; Rep. Colvin has been an active member of the 8th Ward Regular Democratic Organization for over 20 years; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Colvin attended St. Felicitas Elementary School, graduated from St. Willibrord Catholic High School, and received a degree in political science from Chicago State University; and

WHEREAS, After graduating college and prior to serving as State representative, Rep. Colvin worked as an administrator with the Office of the Cook County Assessor; as Manager of External Review, he was in charge of research, development, and training initiatives for the Industrial-Commercial Valuations division of the assessor's office; and

WHEREAS, Upon becoming State representative, Rep. Colvin was soon recognized as one of the House's most thoughtful and compassionate leaders, a member of a new generation of young African Americans that included former Illinois State Senator Barack Obama; Rep. Colvin was chosen by his colleagues to chair the House Legislative Black Caucus from 2003 to 2008, a role he used to bridge generational gaps and empower other young African Americans to succeed within the civic framework of our society; and

WHEREAS, As a State legislator, Rep. Colvin focused on job creation, education, and consumer protection, and viewed his role as chairman of the House Consumer Protection Committee as a way to help low-income families and the working poor afford to keep the lights and heat on in their homes, and he worked to protect Illinois families from predatory lending and housing discrimination; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Colvin was a strong advocate for strengthening State incentive programs that recognize talented African-American students, especially in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, to keep them from being recruited to other states; he was a vocal proponent of investing in our students as a way to invest in our own communities; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his career as State representative, Rep. Colvin served on more than 25 House committees, including committees on environment and energy, labor, education, and consumer protection, and chaired the House Majority Conference; and

WHEREAS, During his work on energy issues, Rep. Colvin became a strong advocate for advanced energy initiatives, recognizing that energy independence and job creation go hand-in-hand; he spearheaded the approval of a coal-to-natural gas power plant on Chicago's southeast side to provide jobs and economic development for his district; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Colvin and his wife Carmen have always found time to volunteer in their community; he has coached little league baseball and youth basketball, been an active member of the Southeast Chicago chapter of the Kiwanis Club, a Jackson Park Hospital Foundation board member, and a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, Though Rep. Colvin has retired as an elected official, he will always be remembered as a compassionate but firm leader, an inspiration to a new generation of African-American leaders who continue to live, work, and volunteer in the communities in which they were raised; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank State Representative Marlow Colvin for his service to his community and State, and wish him continued success in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Rep. Colvin as an expression of our respect and gratitude.