HR0496

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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
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Representatives are pleased to congratulate Barbara Whitney 
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Carr, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago 
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Botanic Garden, for her many years of service, on the occasion 
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of her retirement; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Barbara Whitney Carr has a Bachelor of Arts degree 
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from Denison University; prior to her tenure at the Chicago 
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Botanic Garden, she worked at the Lincoln Park Zoological 
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Society, where she was President from 1990-1994 and Executive 
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Director from 1975-1989; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Barbara Whitney Carr has been President and CEO of 
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the Chicago Botanic Garden since 1995; under her direction, 
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attendance at the garden has increased to 760,000 visitors 
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annually, and membership has reached 47,000, the largest 
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membership of any botanic garden in the United States; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Ms. Carr led a 10-year master development plan 
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which called for the construction and renovation of new 
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gardens, including the Buehler Enabling Garden, Spider Island, 
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the Esplanade and Waterside Terrace, Gardens of the  Great 
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Basin, and the restoration of more than three miles of 
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shoreline;  other capital projects completed during her tenure 
 


 






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include the Botanic Garden Center, the 1.25 mile Garden Wall, 
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the Children's Learning Center, the renovation of the 
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100,000-square foot Regenstein Center, and the dedication of 
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the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic 
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Garden; and

 
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    WHEREAS, She initiated the creation of an Academic Affairs 
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program that offers a Master of Science in plant biology and 
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conservation through a partnership with Northwestern 
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University, a Master of Landscape Architecture through a 
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partnership with the Illinois Institute of Technology, and a 
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bachelor's degree in horticulture from the University of 
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Illinois-Champaign; she was instrumental in fostering a 
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partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to preserve 
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seeds of North American prairie flora and has launched a major 
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science initiative including collaborations with leading 
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institutions and the National Science Foundation that will have 
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global impact; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Ms. Carr oversees one of America's preeminent 
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public gardens that was the winner of Horticulture Magazine's 
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2006 Award for Garden Excellence, honoring the public garden 
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that best exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural 
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practices and techniques; she is this year's recipient of the 
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American Public Gardens Association's most prestigious award, 
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the 2007 Award of Merit, which recognizes an individual who has 
 


 






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performed with distinction in the field of public horticulture; 
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and
 
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    WHEREAS, Ms. Carr is a member of the American Association 
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of Museums, the American Public Gardens Association, The 
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Chicago Network, The Economic Club of Chicago, The Commercial 
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Club of Chicago, and the Chicago Region Biodiversity Council; 
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she is on the Board of Directors of Ox-Bow (the Summer School 
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of The Art Institute of Chicago), Chicago Wilderness Magazine, 
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Lake Forest Open Lands Association, and Lake Forest College, 
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and has served on the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission and 
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The Lincoln Academy of Illinois; therefore, be it

 

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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate Barbara Whitney Carr on her retirement, thank her 
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for her many years of service to the citizens of Illinois, and 
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wish her a happy and fulfilling retirement; and be it further

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