|
News Release
Feb. 21, 2017
Lake County - A Welcoming and Inclusive Community
More than 200 Lake County leaders, including mayors and other elected officials, village managers, police chiefs, school and park district superintendents, business executives, health professionals, faith leaders, and social service agency representatives came together today to take a stand for inclusion and unity, and pledged to make Lake County an inclusive and welcoming community.
Following increased reports of divisiveness, intolerance, and disrespectful actions across the country, Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor and State’s Attorney Mike Nerheim, along with The Partnership for a Safer Lake County, hosted the Summit of Leaders in an effort to engage local leaders to have a meaningful discussion around inclusion and building respect in all aspects of community life, as well as learn from everyone’s experiences and inspire change that results in building a greater capacity for understanding others.
Chairman Aaron Lawlor said, "Lake County's strength
is rooted in our people and their diversity. Recognizing the strength of
diversity starts with understanding our differences and having the courage to
show kindness to each other, even at times of profound disagreement. Today we came together to make a clear and
strong statement - when diverse people and perspectives work together, the only
loser is intolerance and divisiveness. In short, "Ganamos trabajando
juntos." We win working together."
State's Attorney Mike Nerheim said, "While there have been instances of hate and
intolerance in our community, there are many leaders working in every corner of
Lake County to bring people together, and to promote inclusion and
understanding. The purpose of today's meeting was to bring all of those
leaders together so that we can learn from each other, share solutions, and
ensure that we are all working together towards our common goal of promoting a
safer and more welcoming county."
A panel of local leaders, including Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik, Zion Police Chief Steve Dumyahn, Mundelein High School Superintendent Dr. Kevin Myers, Mano a Mano Family Resource Center Executive Director and member of The Partnership for a Safer Lake County, Megan McKenna, and David A. Northern, Sr., Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Lake County Housing Authority discussed what they are seeing in their communities and what they are doing in response. They also talked about what more can be done within their own spheres of influence. Participants then broke into small groups to discuss in more detail what can be done at the local level.
Attendees then showed their support by signing their names to giant-sized “Lake County Welcoming and Inclusive Community Pledges” and pledged to stand against hate and discrimination and affirm that Lake County should be a welcoming community for all. Read Pledge.
"It was very inspiring to see so
many leaders come together to reaffirm our county’s commitment to inclusion,
tolerance, and respect," said Megan McKenna. "Working with immigrant families, we have seen a recent increase in fear and anxiety in the community. Today’s
meeting showed that leadership at all levels and in all areas of our county are
committed to making Lake County a more welcoming and inclusive community for
everyone. I hope that today’s conversation is just the beginning and that attendees will go back to their individual communities with concrete and
proactive approaches to promoting inclusion and tolerance."
Leaders will reconvene in three months for updates stemming from the Summit and to report on progress that has been made. Residents can learn more about this initiative by visiting www.facebook.com/SaferLakeCo and may provide written comments to The Partnership for a Safer Lake County at thepartnership@saferlakecounty.com. To join in on the efforts to create a welcoming and inclusive Lake County, residents are encouraged to use the hashtag #LCLeadByExample and #LCLiderarConEjemplo on their own social media postings.
About The Partnership for a Safer Lake County
The Partnership for a Safer Lake County is a community of organizations and individuals committed to ending violence in Lake County. Through public awareness, coordination of services, and advocacy, the Partnership will combat violence of all kinds including child abuse, elder abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking, LGBTQ crimes, and domestic violence. It is something that must be done, and cannot be done working alone.
###
Contact
Cynthia Vargas
Phone Number: 847-377-3188
Jennie Vana
Phone Number: 847-377-2154
| 
