HR0736 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0736 LRB102 26718 LAW 37577 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Kelly R. Welsh on the occasion of his retirement as president of the Commercial Club of Chicago and the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Kelly Welsh has served as the president of both the Commercial Club of Chicago and the Civic Committee for the past five years; during his tenure, the organizations promoted government efficiency and a stronger education system and conducted a campaign to expand O'Hare Airport; additionally, he oversaw the Civic Committee and its affiliated organizations, Civic Consulting Alliance, Kids First Chicago, and P33, shaped local and state decision-making, and advanced important initiatives on some of the most critical issues facing our region, including job growth, city and state finances, transportation, education, and improving access to economic opportunity while helping the region address the myriad of challenges posed by the pandemic; he was one of the leaders in the effort to create P33 to help enable the Chicago region to achieve its full potential as one of the leading tech centers of the world and to promote inclusive economic growth; and

WHEREAS, Kelly Welsh, nominated by former President Barack Obama, previously served as general counsel for the U.S. Department of Commerce from 2014 to 2017; he worked as executive vice president and general counsel for the Northern Trust Corporation from 2000 to 2014; he served as executive vice president and general counsel for the Ameritech Corporation from 1996 to 1999 after serving as vice president and associate general counsel from 1993 to 1996; he served as corporation counsel for the City of Chicago from 1989 to 1993; he was a partner at the law firm Mayer Brown from 1985 to 1989, after serving as an associate from 1979 to 1985; he worked as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Luther M. Swygert of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; and

WHEREAS, Kelly Welsh additionally serves as a director of Bank of the West, headquartered in San Francisco, the United Way of Metro Chicago, and Navy Pier, Inc.; his civic engagement has included serving as a trustee for the University of Chicago Medical Center and the Field Museum of Natural History and as president of the Board of the Institute of Judicial Administration, New York University Law School; he was also the chairman of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority; and

WHEREAS, Kelly Welsh received his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College and his Master of Arts from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom; he earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review; and

WHEREAS, Kelly Welsh has always embodied the highest ideals of the Commercial Club of Chicago and the Civic Committee; through his leadership, service, and dedication, he made the Chicago region a better place for everyone to live, work, and do business; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Kelly R. Welsh on his retirement as president of the Commercial Club of Chicago and the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, commend him for his service and dedication, and wish him the best in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Kelly Welsh as an expression of our esteem and respect.