Title
Resolution recognizing Aaron Lawlor for his years of service as a Lake County Board Member.
Body
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Aaron Lawlor was appointed in 2009, and subsequently elected in 2012, to serve the residents of District 18 on the Lake County Board and the Lake County Forest Preserves District Board; and
WHEREAS, Aaron Lawlor demonstrated a deep commitment to the residents of Lake County at the early age of 21 as a Trustee of the Cook Memorial Public Library District where, during his tenure, he advocated for the expansion and remodel of the Libertyville Public Library and the construction of a branch library in Vernon Hills; and
WHEREAS, Aaron Lawlor earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Lake Forest College and his master’s in business administration degree from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management; and
WHEREAS, Aaron Lawlor was elected to the role of chairman by his peers in December 2012 at the age of 30, becoming the youngest board chairman in the history of Lake County; and
WHEREAS, during his nine years on the County Board, Aaron Lawlor sat on numerous standing committees including as a member of the Law and Judicial, Rules, and Financial and Administrative committees, and vice-chair of the Planning, Building and Zoning and Reapportionment committees. He has also served as Liquor Commissioner, chair of the Lake County Government Reform Implementation Committee, and a member of the Public Aid Committee and Public Building Commission; and
WHEREAS, as a Commissioner of the Forest Preserve District, Aaron Lawlor served on the Finance and Facilities committees and was chair of the Ethics Committee; and
WHEREAS, Aaron Lawlor has been an outspoken advocate of tolerance, inclusion, and diversity, and has been instrumental in outreach efforts to provide the necessary support system to the youth of the LGBTQ community; and
WHEREAS, Aaron Lawlor championed initiatives that create awareness, encourage discussion, and change people’s ideas on individuals struggling with mental health issues. He co-chaired the Lake County Mental Health Coalition, which brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to share data and evidence-based practices to improve care for the County’s vulnerable population; and
WHEREAS, Aaron Lawlor has been a proponent of the Consolidation Action Plan for Lake County Board-appointed units of government which aims to consolidate or dissolve districts to enhance efficiency, accountability and cost-savings. Efforts include the elimination of the Lake County Regional Planning Commission and Round Lake Sanitary District, and exploring consolidation of services for a regional 911 dispatch center; and
WHEREAS, in 2013, the County Board adopted Aaron Lawlor’s proposed/new standards of conduct for appointed commissioners which focuses on five areas: accountability: fiscal responsibility, transparency, efficiency and ethics; and
WHEREAS, Aaron Lawlor has been civically involved in many philanthropic and professional organizations: the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County, Housing and Community Development Commission, Winchester House Advisory Board, Lake County Navy League, Lake County United Way, A Safe Place, Lake County Partners, Lake County Transportation Alliance, Lake County Center for Independent Living, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Hawthorn District 73 Future Search Strategic Planning Committee, and the North Suburban Library System Board of Directors; and
WHEREAS, in 2017, Aaron Lawlor launched the Lake County Climate Action Pledge in partnership with the Sierra Club to encourage local community leaders and public officials to deliver local, bipartisan action on the climate crisis; and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Lake County Board offers its gratitude and appreciation to Aaron Lawlor as Board Chairman to all Lake County residents and for nine years of public service as Representative of District 18.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County Board does hereby wish Aaron Lawlor a healthy and happy future.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois on November 13, 2018.