File #: 26-0184    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Consent Calendar Resolution Status: Agenda Ready
File created: 3/4/2026 In control: FPD Board of Commissioners
On agenda: 3/10/2026 Final action:
Title: PROPOSED RESOLUTION CELEBRATING THE TENURE AND RETIREMENT OF JEAN FRANCZYK WHEREAS, Jean M. Franczyk has led the Chicago Botanic Garden since 2016, with a keen awareness that individuals turn to the natural world for restoration and respite; and WHEREAS, a native Chicagoan, Jean Franczyk spent her childhood gardening alongside her mother, planting an early seed for her interest in the natural world; and WHEREAS, Jean Franczyk earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, followed by her master's degree in public policy from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy; and WHEREAS, Jean Franczyk worked as a part of the Mayor Richard M. Daley administration as well as the Chicago Board of Education as chief of staff; and WHEREAS, Jean Franczyk joined the Garden after living in London for 11 years, where she was deputy director of the Science Museum with the United Kingdom's Science Museum Group (SMG); and WHEREAS...
Sponsors: TONI PRECKWINKLE (President), FRANK J. AGUILAR, ALMA E. ANAYA, SCOTT R. BRITTON, JOHN P. DALEY, BRIDGET DEGNEN, BRIDGET GAINER, BILL LOWRY, DR. KISHA E. McCASKILL, DONNA MILLER, STANLEY MOORE, JOSINA MORITA, KEVIN B. MORRISON, SEAN M. MORRISON, MICHAEL SCOTT JR., TARA S. STAMPS, MAGGIE TREVOR, JESSICA VÁSQUEZ
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title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION

CELEBRATING THE TENURE AND RETIREMENT OF JEAN FRANCZYK

WHEREAS, Jean M. Franczyk has led the Chicago Botanic Garden since 2016, with a keen awareness that individuals turn to the natural world for restoration and respite; and

WHEREAS, a native Chicagoan, Jean Franczyk spent her childhood gardening alongside her mother, planting an early seed for her interest in the natural world; and

WHEREAS, Jean Franczyk earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, followed by her master's degree in public policy from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy; and

WHEREAS, Jean Franczyk worked as a part of the Mayor Richard M. Daley administration as well as the Chicago Board of Education as chief of staff; and

WHEREAS, Jean Franczyk joined the Garden after living in London for 11 years, where she was deputy director of the Science Museum with the United Kingdom's Science Museum Group (SMG); and

WHEREAS, Jean Franczyk holds a firm belief that connecting with nature leads to a happier, healthier life; and

WHEREAS, Jean Franczyk goes to the natural world for renewal and reflection, and believes that the Garden provides visitors a place to decompress and explore; and

WHEREAS, Jean Franczyk was key in the passage of the Forest Preserve District's 2022 referendum, noting how transformative the additional dollars would be for the health and wellness of the region; and

WHEREAS, Jean Franczyk remained dedicated to ensuring the Chicago Botanic Garden is a space of scientific exploration by expanding plant science conservation work; and

WHEREAS, during Jean Franczyk's tenure, the Chicago Botanic Garden celebrated their 50th anniversary "Flourish: The Garden at 50" where visitors were invited to connect with nature through interactive experiences within the Garden; and

WHEREAS, Jean Franczyk illuminated the Garden with the inception of Lightscape, an enchanting 1.3-mile trail ...

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