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92_HR1007
LRB9217097BHbh
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are proud to congratulate Giovanna Verdecchia
4 of Chicago Heights for her outstanding job as State President
5 of both the Grand Lodge of the State of Illinois and the
6 Order Sons of Italy in America; and
7 WHEREAS, Italian native Giovanna Verdecchia was born in
8 San Benedetto del Tronto in the Marche Region and attended
9 school in Italy; she married Louis Verdecchia and came to the
10 United States, where her husband owned and operated Roma
11 Tailors in Chicago Heights; she is the mother of three
12 children, Louis D. (Melissa), Francesca, and Brendan;
13 Giovanna Verdecchia became involved in her community when her
14 children were very young by volunteering in their respective
15 schools and sports programs, and serving as a Catechist in
16 her Church; and
17 WHEREAS, Giovanna Verdecchia has been a member of the
18 Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) since 1983; as a member
19 of the Chicago Heights Lodge, she worked on many committees
20 and chaired a successful membership drive enrolling 40 new
21 young members into her lodge; in addition, she served as
22 Trustee, Recording Secretary, Orator, and State Delegate to
23 the 1991 Convention; and
24 WHEREAS, In 1991, Giovanna Verdecchia was appointed
25 Interim State Trustee and then appointed Chairman of the
26 Alzheimer's Committee; in 1993, she spearheaded new
27 fundraisers and adopted the national coin drop in the State
28 of Illinois, successfully asking the Governor to declare the
29 coin drop day Order of the Sons of Italy/Alzheimer's
30 Association "Partners in Progress" Day; in 1995, Giovanna
31 Verdecchia was appointed General Chairman of the State
32 Convention and was also elected State Recording Secretary and
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1 Delegate to the National Convention, where she was placed on
2 national committees; in 1998, she was elected the first
3 President of the Illinois Sons of Italy Foundation, and in
4 1999, she was elected the first woman State President of the
5 Grand Lodge of the State of Illinois; she was re-elected
6 State President again by acclamation in June 2001; and
7 WHEREAS, As State President, Giovanna Verdecchia has made
8 membership, unity, interaction with other organizations, the
9 welfare of the Italian community, the promotion of the
10 Italian Language, and the Italian culture and image her main
11 priorities; she appointed committees, concentrating on growth
12 in membership and image; membership increased, new lodges
13 were formed, and a Youth Membership Program was adopted under
14 her guidance; she was also instrumental in helping the
15 National Order establish in Wisconsin by assisting in the
16 formation of a lodge in Milwaukee; Giovanna Verdecchia
17 formulated an Adopt a Lodge program wherein State Trustees
18 serve as Grand Lodge ambassadors to maintain lines of
19 communication; she also established a newsletter, "Il
20 Duemila", which is published quarterly; and
21 WHEREAS, President Verdecchia instituted 3 awards, the
22 Humanitarian Award, the Spirit Award, and the Golden Lion
23 Award; through her efforts, the Italian American Human
24 Relation Foundation of Chicago became a lodge of OSIA and now
25 serves as the Illinois Commission for Social Justice; and
26 WHEREAS, President Verdecchia is a member of OSIA's
27 National Commission on Education, a voting member of the
28 National Commission on Social Justice, and in the capacity of
29 State President, a member of the National Cabinet; on behalf
30 of the community, she has written numerous letters protesting
31 the defaming portrayal of Italians in the entertainment
32 industry and has participated in discussions with other
33 organizations on ways to better serve the Italian community;
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1 she has also been working with the Italian Consulate to bring
2 the Italian Language into schools, and she assisted in
3 petitioning the Illinois Legislature for funds for that
4 purpose; and
5 WHEREAS, Giovanna Verdecchia travels extensively as a
6 representative of OSIA to functions throughout Chicago, to
7 meetings and conventions of OSIA nationwide; in December
8 2000, she was chosen by Consul General Enrico Granara as a
9 delegate to the First World Conference of Italians Abroad in
10 Rome and the First Women's Conference in Leece; therefore, be
11 it
12 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
13 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
14 we congratulate Giovanna Verdecchia on her outstanding
15 efforts as State President of the Grand Lodge of the State of
16 Illinois and the Order Sons of Italy in America, and we wish
17 her all the best in the future; and be it further
18 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19 presented to Giovanna Verdecchia as an expression of our
20 esteem.