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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to commend Pamela Blackman on her | ||||||
| 4 | community service work as president and CEO of Building | ||||||
| 5 | Brighter Futures Center for the Arts; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Building Brighter Futures Center For The Arts, | ||||||
| 7 | formerly known as the Better Boys Foundation, is a nonprofit | ||||||
| 8 | and comprehensive human services organization that offers six | ||||||
| 9 | program and service areas, providing community engagement, | ||||||
| 10 | education, employment services, family services, health | ||||||
| 11 | equity, and youth services, in order to improve the quality of | ||||||
| 12 | life for underprivileged youth and their families by providing | ||||||
| 13 | safe, stable, and nurturing experiences that enhance social, | ||||||
| 14 | emotional, academic, and career development; and | ||||||
| 15 | WHEREAS, Pamela Blackman has served as president and CEO | ||||||
| 16 | of Building Brighter Futures Center For The Arts since 2020; | ||||||
| 17 | over the course of her tenure, the organization has initiated | ||||||
| 18 | a scholarship program, reestablished its dance program, | ||||||
| 19 | brought in a music program, added STEM classes, increased | ||||||
| 20 | resources to help the youth with their studies and college | ||||||
| 21 | preparation, enhanced the fashion work program and mentoring | ||||||
| 22 | programs, and formed partnerships with several organizations, | ||||||
| 23 | including Champs, Polished Pebbles, and Ladies of Virtue; | ||||||
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| 1 | prior to her current roles, she served on the organization's | ||||||
| 2 | board of directors from 2007 to 2010 and as director of Project | ||||||
| 3 | L.E.A.D. from 2010 to 2012; and | ||||||
| 4 | WHEREAS, Pamela Blackman has also served as president and | ||||||
| 5 | CEO of Joy Entertainment & Event Management since 1998; her | ||||||
| 6 | company primarily represents influencers, comedians, actors, | ||||||
| 7 | and game changers, and it began offering Name Image Likeness | ||||||
| 8 | (NIL) management for college athletes in more recent years; | ||||||
| 9 | she previously served as a certified nurse's aide, worked as a | ||||||
| 10 | state-licensed real estate broker, and owned Kiddie Academy | ||||||
| 11 | Learning Centers I and II for more than two decades; and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, Pamela Blackman has further served her community | ||||||
| 13 | through establishing two nonprofits, Random Acts of Kindness | ||||||
| 14 | and the Blackman-Reese-Rose Foundation, with the latter | ||||||
| 15 | providing college scholarships to deserving students needing | ||||||
| 16 | additional financial assistance to complete their educational | ||||||
| 17 | goals; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, Pamela Blackman has been the recipient of a | ||||||
| 19 | number of accolades for her philanthropic and professional | ||||||
| 20 | work, including receiving a Lifetime Presidential Achievement | ||||||
| 21 | Award in 2023; and | ||||||
| 22 | WHEREAS, Pamela Blackman, a native of Chicago, is a proud | ||||||
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| 1 | mother and grandmother who holds undergraduate and graduate | ||||||
| 2 | degrees in childhood education, human behavior, social work, | ||||||
| 3 | and psychology; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 4 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 5 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 6 | we commend Pamela Blackman on her community service work as | ||||||
| 7 | president and CEO of Building Brighter Futures Center for the | ||||||
| 8 | Arts, and we thank her for her continued dedication to serving | ||||||
| 9 | her community and the youth of Chicago; and be it further | ||||||
| 10 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 11 | presented to Pamela Blackman as an expression of our esteem | ||||||
| 12 | and respect. | ||||||