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Edward J. Doherty (1935 to 2006)
Edward J. Doherty had been an executive with USG Corporation for over three decades when he joined Equip for Equality's Board of Directors in January of 1994. Ed was very excited about becoming involved with the organization because he believed it would give him the opportunity to give something back to the community and he rapidly moved into leadership positions, becoming Treasurer shortly after he joined the Board and Chairperson in September of 1995, a position that he held until October of 2000. Ed remained on the Board for an additional two years after stepping down as Chairperson, making him the longest-serving Board member in Equip for Equality's history; Ed retired from USG in 2000 as well, after serving for 41 years in a variety of positions with this world-wide leader in products, systems, and services for the building industry.
During Ed's tenure on Equip for Equality's Board, the organization essentially doubled in size both in terms of staff size and budget. That growth would not have been possible without Ed's leadership in helping Equip for Equality's Board become a strong, professional governing body that provided prudent financial oversight. In particular, Ed provided leadership in Equip for Equality's fundraising endeavors that were essential for the organization's growth.
According to Ed Doherty's son, the experience of serving on the Board of Directors and then as the Board Chairperson of Equip for Equality had a dramatic affect on Ed and his view of society and justice. Even though Ed did not have a connection to the disability rights movement, through his involvement with the organization he came to feel passionately about the human and civil rights of people with disabilities and become one of the organization's most ardent advocates and supporters. While Ed had a profound impact on the growth and development of Equip for Equality during his nine year tenure on the Board and his longstanding leadership role as chairperson, it is equally true that Ed was also profoundly changed by this experience. For the first time, he saw himself as someone who was making a positive impact in the lives of others.
Staff members fondly remember that no matter how exacting Ed's standards may have been, they always felt his irrepressible warmth in working with him. Explains President and CEO Zena Naiditch, "It was very rewarding to work with somebody who, when he joined the Board, had no experience with disability rights issues but who, over time, came to show such passion and commitment for it, and with whom I felt comfortable talking about any problem or concern."
Ed Doherty more than fulfilled the goal he had 13 years ago of giving back to the community by becoming involved with Equip for Equality. He set the standard for all of us who follow.
Equip for Equality is honored to have L. Tammy Duckworth as its featured speaker at An Evening for Equality, on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at the Renaissance Chicago Hotel. Governor Blagojevich appointed Ms. Duckworth Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs on November 21, 2006. She is also currently a Major with the Illinois National Guard. From 2000-2003 Major Duckworth served in active duty as Commander of a 15-ship, UH-60A Blackhawk Helicopter Company, supervising the training for 60 aircrew members and overseeing maintenance for over $50 million in equipment. As Battle Captain and Assistant Operations Officer, she helped with planning, assigning and tracking combat missions of a 500-soldier aviation taskforce in Iraq, and flew over 200 combat hours as a Blackhawk pilot. During a mission in November 2004, a rocket-propelled grenade struck the cockpit of her helicopter and exploded. Director Duckworth suffered grave injuries, losing both legs.
As the featured speaker, Director Duckworth will be providing her unique perspective as a public official, as an officer in the military, and as a person with a disability, on the critical issues facing Illinois relating to the veterans and disabilities, as well as inclusion and empowerment of people with disabilities in the community.
Since returning from Iraq, Director Duckworth has remained committed to issues of public importance, regularly speaking to veterans' groups, testifying before Congress on issues of medical care for returning veterans and running for a U.S. Congressional seat.
As a soldier, Major Duckworth received the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, along with other decorations, citations and badges.
Director Duckworth speaks four languages, has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Hawaii; an M.A. from the George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs; and is currently working on a Ph. D. in Public-Private Partnership in Public Health Campaigns.
With this honor, Equip for Equality lauds the Committee's extraordinary vision in recognizing that the Paralympics, all athletes with disabilities, and Chicago's advances on behalf of people with disabilities, are invaluable assets to the city's 2016 Games bid.
Peter Ueberroff, Chair of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), has stated that placing the Paralympics front and center in the Olympic movement is an integral element of the future and of the vision of the International Olympic Committee and the US Olympic Committee.
When Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the Modern Olympic Movement, visited Chicago in 1893, he said that Chicago "is stirred by noble sentiments and pursues its moral perfection. In a word, it is rising." The leadership of Chicago 2016 is also rising; it is surely a force in advancing the great goals of the Olympic movement: hope, respect, harmony, friendship, excellence and celebration.
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Dave Savini, CBS 2 Investigative Reporter
Dave Savini is one of Chicago's great investigative journalists. In 1999, he uncovered and developed a five-part expose for WMAQ-TV on public schools that locked young students with disabilities in closets for "time out." The series, 'Kids in Confinement,' on which he extensively collaborated with Equip for Equality, led to legislative and regulatory action. Besides his work reporting on the plight of children with disabilities, Dave has uncovered corruption in the police department, and exposed medical negligence, government waste and child exploitation. His reports have resulted in legal reforms and policy changes within government agencies and local corporations.
In 2003, he won the prestigious Edward R. Murrow award for his series "Code Blue, Code Red," which investigated law enforcement officials and exposed 250 drunk driving offenders among Chicago police officers, firefighters and paramedics. Dave recently moved from WMAQ to WBBM, Channel 2 News in Chicago, and he previously worked at WROC-TV in Rochester, New York as an anchor and investigative reporter. Before that, he was the Raleigh bureau chief at WNCT-TV in Greenville, North Carolina (1990-92). He began his career as a weekend anchor and investigative reporter at WHIZ-TV in Zanesville, Ohio.
Dave has been honored for excellence throughout his career with nine Emmy Awards, a national Clarion Award, the Herman Kogan Award from the Chicago Bar Association and an Edward R. Murrow Award. Born and raised in Chicago, he is a 1985 graduate of Weber High School and earned a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Dayton. Dave and his wife have two children and live in Naperville.
