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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF ELIZABETH (“LIZ”) MILLAN
WHEREAS, Ms. Elizabeth (“Liz”) Millan will be retiring from her position as the Director of the Landscape Maintenance department - the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s largest department - on December 31, 2021. Ms. Millan served the Forest Preserves and this department for seven years, first as Deputy Director for four years and then as Director for three years. She is the first female director of this department and simultaneously served as Interim Director of the Facilities and Fleet department for a time; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Millan provided a combined forty-one years of public service in the Parks and Recreation field to the Chicago Park District and Forest Preserves of Cook County with too many accomplishments over her tenure to capture all of these in this document but include developing and implementing a Landscape Maintenance Field Operations and Equipment Training Manual which includes mandatory training on biodiversity, first aid/CPR, heat stress safety, highway mowing, defensive driving, and equipment maintenance; developing a successful internal commercial driver’s license training program for Landscape Maintenance staff instructed by certified staff members; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Millan expanded Landscape Maintenance operations by creating the Beautification Crew that helps reduce the carbon footprint at the aquatic centers and several maintenance divisions with in-house native plant designs, and the Pavement Preservation Crew to reduce capital improvement expenses; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Millan chaired the Green Sustainability Committee’s Zero Waste Cross-Departmental Working Group in 2018 which goals were to increase waste diversion rates, increase recycling and composting initiatives, and overall support material re-use strategies, all designed to help the Forest Preserves reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Millan represented the Forest Preserves during the Illinois Association of Park Districts Parks Day at the Capitol Exhibit Fair in 2017 and 2018, represented the Forest Preserves at a number of meetings with the Illinois Association of Conservation Districts, represented the Forest Preserves in numerous external recycling partner group meetings, including the Chicago Sustainability Task Force, and assisted in promoting the Forest Preserves Emmy Award-winning documentary film, Chicago’s True Nature: The Forest Preserves of Cook County, to various community groups around Chicagoland; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Millan was the winner of the Forest Preserves’ “Above and Beyond” Green Leaf Award in 2017 and the winner of two Green Leaf Awards in 2018 for the “Most Sustainable Department” and the “Most Sustainable Director,” and was nominated in 2019 for the Chicago Excellence in Gardening Award for sustainable planting techniques; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Millan, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, modified operational standards to address public health and safety to protect visitors and employees of the Forest Preserves by optimizing the cleaning and sanitation of facilities, grounds, and trails; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Millan was the winner of the Puerto Rican Parade Committee of Chicago award in recognition of her outstanding dedication and service to the Puerto Rican community; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Millan has been a Deacon for New Life Covenant Church and a dedicated missionary since 2011, and a teacher for the Chicago Dream Center which mission since 2014 is to rescue women by empowering them to overcome life challenges; and
WHEREAS, after retirement, Ms. Millan will continue to dedicate herself to her missionary work establishing nutritional centers in developing countries and working with displaced women; and
WHEREAS, the true legacy of Elizabeth Millan lives in the impact she had on her staff by always being consistent, fair, open, and transparent, and her passion for inspiring and motivating all those that sought comfort in her kind-hearted approach; and in her professionalism displayed through her high standards of ethics, dedication, and performance as a Director.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Toni Preckwinkle, President, along with members of the Forest Preserves of Cook County Board of Commissioners, General Superintendent Arnold L. Randall, and on behalf of all citizens of Cook County, do hereby congratulate Ms. Elizabeth Millan on a long career in public service and thank her for the many contributions she bestowed to the Forest Preserves of Cook County; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that suitable copies of this resolution be tendered to her and her family in recognition of her career, contributions to the Forest Preserves of Cook County, service to residents and visitors, and her passion for public service.end