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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 Kevin J. Bell on 
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the occasion of being named to serve as Chair of the Board of 
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Directors of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Kevin Bell is a New York native who was literally 
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raised on the grounds of the world-famous Bronx Zoo; his 
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family's house was located behind the reptile house, where they 
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lived while his father served as the zoo's curator of birds; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, Being raised in a culture of deep commitment to 
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wildlife, Kevin Bell has devoted his entire life to 
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conservation; in 1976, at the age of 23, he was hired to serve 
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as Lincoln Park Zoo's curator of birds, making him the youngest 
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curator in the zoo's history; in 1993, he was selected to serve 
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as the zoo's director; and

 
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    WHEREAS, At Lincoln Park Zoo, Kevin Bell was instrumental 
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in leading the zoo's $125 million capital campaign, which 
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created new, state-of-the-art, award-winning animal habitats 
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and developed an endowment to secure the zoo for future 
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generations; during his tenure, he has overseen the creation of 
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one of the leading zoo-based conservation and science programs 
 


 






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in the country, with ongoing conservation efforts locally and 
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around the world; his most recent undertaking, "Nature 
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Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo", is slated to open in the spring 
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of 2010; the Nature Boardwalk is a $12 million ecological pond 
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restoration effort designed to create a natural ecosystem in 
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the middle of a city where people can immerse themselves in 
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nature; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Kevin Bell currently serves as President and CEO 
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of Lincoln Park Zoo and is an active leader within the AZA 
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community; his fellow zoo directors, conservationists, 
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scientists, and other AZA professional members first voted for 
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him to serve on the AZA Board of Directors in 1999; he was then 
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elected to the position of Chair by the AZA membership, which 
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is comprised of 6,000 members representing 217 accredited zoos 
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and aquariums; as Chair, he will lead the 13-member Board of 
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Directors for one year and will be involved in every aspect of 
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the national organization, including strategic planning, 
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accreditation, ethics, animal welfare, and conservation; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The AZA's many accredited zoos and aquariums will 
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undoubtedly benefit from Kevin's extensive experience and 
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strong leadership; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
 


 






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congratulate Kevin J. Bell on the occasion of being named to 
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serve as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of 
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Zoos and Aquariums and wish him continued success and happiness 
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in the future; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to Kevin Bell as a symbol of our esteem and respect.