CONGRATS-REY B. GONZALEZ

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0917

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HR0917 - 104th General Assembly

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HR0917
LRB104 21978 RMO 37946 r
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3
Representatives wish to congratulate Rey B. Gonzalez on 50
4
years of work in civil rights and community development as
5
well as 45 years of service to El Valor; and

6

WHEREAS, Mr. Gonzalez, president and chief executive
7
officer of El Valor, has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to
8
social justice and community empowerment; and

9

WHEREAS, Mr. Gonzalez was born and raised on the South
10
Side of Chicago to parents who, along with his grandmother,
11
deeply emphasized the importance of education; and

12

WHEREAS, Prior to entering corporate America, Mr. Gonzalez
13
served as the regional Midwest director of the National
14
Council of La Raza and worked at the Chicago Urban League,
15
where he successfully helped place more than 2,500 women and
16
minorities in skilled, highly paid building and construction
17
trade jobs; and

18

WHEREAS, Mr. Gonzalez continued to champion opportunities
19
for the advancement of Latinos, minorities, and
20
underrepresented people through high-level corporate
21
leadership positions at the McDonald's Corporation and

HR0917
- 2 -
LRB104 21978 RMO 37946 r
1
Commonwealth Edison (ComEd); and

2

WHEREAS, Mr. Gonzalez has dedicated 45 years of service to
3
El Valor, a nonprofit organization founded in 1973 by the late
4
Guadalupe A. Reyes to support bilingual families and
5
individuals with disabilities; and

6

WHEREAS, Mr. Gonzalez has held leadership roles at El
7
Valor for decades, having served as chairman of the board of
8
directors for more than 30 years before transitioning into his
9
current role as president and chief executive officer in 2013;
10
and

11

WHEREAS, Under the visionary stewardship of Mr. Gonzalez,
12
El Valor has flourished from a very small organization housed
13
in a building in desperate need of repair into one of the 25
14
largest Hispanic-serving nonprofit organizations in the United
15
States; and

16

WHEREAS, Through Mr. Gonzalez's leadership, El Valor has
17
achieved historic milestones for the State of Illinois,
18
including establishing the State's first bilingual, bicultural
19
rehabilitation center, starting the first computer programming
20
training center for people with disabilities, and building the
21
state's first intermediate care facility; and

HR0917
- 3 -
LRB104 21978 RMO 37946 r
1

WHEREAS, Mr. Gonzalez spearheaded innovative initiatives
2
such as the Tocar El Futuro/Touch the Future early childhood
3
education model and the Parents As First Teachers awareness
4
campaign; and

5

WHEREAS, Mr. Gonzalez initiated the Leadership through
6
Education university partnership to bridge the credential gap
7
for Latinos, resulting in hundreds of working people earning
8
degrees directly within the community at El Valor centers; and

9

WHEREAS, Under the executive guidance of Mr. Gonzalez, El
10
Valor has constructed children and family centers in Pilsen,
11
South Chicago, and Little Village and expanded its adult
12
residential program to six separate residences for individuals
13
with intellectual disabilities, now serving over 4,000
14
children, adults, and families annually; and

15

WHEREAS, Mr. Gonzalez has been a tireless advocate for
16
technological equity, ensuring the installation of smart
17
classrooms and iPads to guarantee digital access for
18
lower-income, non-English speaking community members; and

19

WHEREAS, Beyond El Valor, Mr. Gonzalez has extended his
20
leadership as a cofounder and board member of the United
21
States Hispanic Leadership Institute, and he serves on the
22
boards of Mt. Sinai Hospital and the American STEM Alliance;

HR0917
- 4 -
LRB104 21978 RMO 37946 r
1
and

2

WHEREAS, Mr. Gonzalez's extensive advocacy has earned him
3
numerous accolades, including being named among the 100 Most
4
Influential Hispanics in America, receiving the U.S. Hispanic
5
Hero Award, having two annual scholarships established in his
6
name, and having a resource center for children and families
7
named in his honor on the southeast side of Chicago; and

8

WHEREAS, Throughout his historic career, Mr. Gonzalez has
9
been supported by his wife, Hilda, and their four children,
10
Rey, Daniel, Adam, and Rachel; therefore, be it

11

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
12
HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
13
we congratulate Rey B. Gonzalez on his 50 years of
14
extraordinary work advancing civil rights and community
15
development, and we express our deep gratitude for his 45
16
years of profound leadership at El Valor; and be it further

17

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
18
presented to Mr. Gonzalez as a token of our esteem and respect
19
for his enduring legacy of service to the people of Illinois.

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