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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING MARK R THOMAS, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OF THE FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT
WHEREAS, Mark R. Thomas, Jr. began his tenure as the Chief Financial Officer of the Forest Preserves of Cook County in September of 2011, and served under President Toni Preckwinkle and General Superintendent Arnold L. Randall; and
WHEREAS, Mark R. Thomas, Jr. brought a wealth of financial and operational expertise to the Preserves as an experienced professional, who served as Chief Administrative Officer, Chief of Staff, Budget Director, Deputy Budget Director, Acting Budget Director, Assistant Budget Director and Senior Budget & Policy Analyst for the Chicago Park District and also was a public servant for the City of Chicago and the City of Kalamazoo; and
WHEREAS, Mark R. Thomas, Jr. was the Chief Financial Officer for the Preserves, and labored tirelessly in his work, always seeking ways to improve the financial processes; and
WHEREAS, Mark R. Thomas, Jr. implemented a new financial reporting system and conducted Districtwide training; and
WHEREAS, under the tutelage of Mark R. Thomas, Jr., the Preserves received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for years 2011 and 2012; and
WHEREAS, Mark R. Thomas, Jr. brought to fruition and closing a $100 million bond deal; and
WHEREAS, Mark R. Thomas, Jr. brought to his work a wealth of knowledge of both the budget and the Preserves' financial systems, including cross-departmental knowledge in areas including procurement policies and pension reform; and
WHEREAS, Mark R. Thomas, Jr. always made himself available to address the Commissioners' concerns while developing strong intergovernmental agreements with the County of Cook; and
WHEREAS, Mark R. Thomas, Jr. received degrees from the University of Chicago, Western Michigan University and University of Michigan, respectively; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure, Mark R. Thomas received the loving support of his family which includes his wife, Kathi Sieden-Thomas, and his son, Jackson Thomas; and
WHEREAS, the residents of Cook County benefitted greatly and will do so from his remaining legacy; and.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I President Toni Preckwinkle, and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the residents of Cook County, do hereby express our profound gratitude to Mark R. Thomas, Jr. for his exemplary service to the people of Cook County, Illinois.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mark Thomas, as a token of our gratitude and acknowledgement of his service and his contributions to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.
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