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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE CAREER AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF EILEEN FIGEL
WHEREAS, Ms. Eileen Figel has served as the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s Interim General Superintendent since January 2024 and previously served as the Forest Preserves’ Deputy General Superintendent since July 2014 and has led the nation’s oldest and largest forest preserve district in building a culture of inclusivity and equality; and
WHEREAS, Eileen is a member of the American Planning Association and holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Bachelor of Arts in Management Science from the University of California San Diego. Prior to joining the Forest Preserves, Eileen served as the founding director for the Institute for Comprehensive Community Development, led an independent consulting practice, and served as former Mayor Daley’s First Deputy Commissioner for the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, and as a municipal planner for the cities of Baltimore, Maryland, Long Beach, California and Highland Park, Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Eileen has been deeply committed to ensuring that the Forest Preserves’ infrastructure and culture is based on equity and inclusion, and under her leadership, ensured that programming, development, and initiatives contributed to creating a welcoming environment for all Cook County residents and visitors; and
WHEREAS, Eileen spearheaded the implementation of the 2014 Next Century Conservation Plan, an ambitious and visionary strategy that laid out a set of bold actions that positioned the Forest Preserves as a national leader in urban conservation and ensured the people of Cook County treasure and sustain this amazing resource then, now and in the future and guided the launch and formation of the Conservation and Policy Council, an advisory body of distinguished civic-minded experts who generously volunteer time to the mission, established by ordinance and charged with guiding the efforts to implement the Next Century Conservation Plan; and
WHEREAS, under her direction, the Council and Forest Preserves’ staff undertook the creation and implementation of five position papers that outline a set of principles and recommendations on key issues facing the Forest Preserves today and in the future including land acquisition and disposition, nature-compatible recreation, scaling up volunteers, and racial equity, diversity and inclusion; and
WHEREAS, her leadership and tireless advocacy contributed to build a community of support for the Forest Preserves, with 69% of Cook County voters approving a tax referendum to increase funding for nature and help the Forest Preserves maintain funding now and in perpetuity; and
WHEREAS, under her steady and focused leadership, the Forest Preserves have been managed with excellence, efficiency, transparency, and sound financial practices, and have continued to advance ambitious goals including acquiring land for the benefit of Cook County’s people and nature resulting in - at long last - surpassing 70,000 acres of public land and updating the Forest Preserves’ Land Use Code to ensure that these public lands will forever be available for public use and enjoyment; and
WHEREAS, Eileen has strongly supported the Forest Preserve Foundation, the Forest Preserves’ philanthropic partner dedicated to protecting and restoring natural habits and to enhancing outdoor experiences for all people, to improving workplace culture by listening to and supporting staff in finding resolutions to challenging situation and resources for key Forest Preserves programs and initiatives. The Forest Preserve Foundation has become a stalwart supporter of the Forest Preserves’ Conservation Corps program, has helped restore critical natural areas including Cap Sauers Holdings Nature Preserve, and has raised more than $3,000,000 to support the Forest Preserves; and
WHEREAS, Eileen is a tireless advocate for staff and has improved workplace culture by supporting and guiding her staff through challenging situations, modeling behavior, values and attitudes she wished to see from Forest Preserves’ staff, encouraging employees to explore new best practices that can lead to improvements and increased efficiencies, and shared her limitless energy, frankness, and commitment to excellence with all of her colleagues; and
WHEREAS, Eileen is enthusiastic about traveling, camping and other outdoor recreation activities including cycling, hiking, and walking her dogs, and shares her love for nature with her family and friends; and
WHEREAS, Eileen has worked tirelessly on behalf of the Forest Preserves and the people and nature of Cook County and she will be sorely missed for her leadership and work ethic, her commitment to inclusivity, and her sense of humor.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that President Toni Preckwinkle and the Forest Preserves of Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the residents of Cook County do hereby extend thanks to Eileen Figel for her dedication, leadership and outstanding service to the Forest Preserves and wish her continued success.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be provided to Eileen Figel in recognition of her significant contributions to the Forest Preserves of Cook County.
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