ADOPTED - MARCH 9, 2004
Agenda Item No. 12

Introduced by the County Services Committee of the:

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

RESOLUTION HONORING DR. NANETTE REYNOLDS

RESOLUTION #04-66

WHEREAS, after twenty years of public service, Dr. Nanette Reynolds retired from Michigan State Government at the end of 2003; and

WHEREAS, her career in State Government began as a Civil Rights and Education Program Specialist in the Office of the Governor, after seven years with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights she was appointed its Director in April of 1993, and

WHEREAS, during her tenure with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, Dr. Reynolds balanced aggressive enforcement of civil rights laws with the need to progress the agenda of civil rights through social collaborations; and

WHEREAS, demonstrating a remarkable ability to bring together state, federal and local agencies, along with public and private organizations to work toward common goals, Dr. Nanette Reynolds ushered in a new interagency cooperation, establishing the Michigan Department of Civil Rights as a model among state civil rights departments, sharing the mission of preventing and eliminating unlawful discrimination; and

WHEREAS, in 2003 under Dr. Nanette Reynolds' leadership, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights received two awards, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's award for Innovative Joint Outreach and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's award for Commitment to Fair Housing and Excellence in Homeownership; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of her leadership and commitment to civil rights, Dr. Nanette Reynolds has received numerous awards including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee's Civil Rights Award, the Michigan State Conference NAACP's Community Service Award, the Anti-Defamation League's Women of Achievement Award, the Individual Achievement Award from the International Association of Organized Human Rights Agencies and the National Association of Human Rights Workers' Individual Human Rights Award; and

WHEREAS, she has also been among the "Volunteers of the Year" for Ele's Place, a recipient of the Diana Award from the YWCA of Greater Lansing, the Humanitarian Award from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Lansing Area Commission and the role model award from the "Y" Achievers.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners hereby honors Dr. Nanette Reynolds for her years of service with the State of Michigan and for her continued commitment to equal opportunity and civil rights.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board appreciates the contributions she has made to the citizens of Ingham County, her accomplished leadership has had a positive influence on the entire region.

COUNTY SERVICES: Yeas: Swope, Thomas, De Leon, Hertel
Nays: None Absent: Severino, Nevin Approved 3/2/04