CHICAGO — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot today announced the annual Kathy Osterman Awards, which will recognize City employees across various departments who exceeded expectations serving residents across Chicago through integrity, innovation, leadership, teamwork, mentorship, and compassion. Twelve winners and nineteen finalists will be recognized during the awards ceremony luncheon on Tuesday, December 13, 2022. The Kathy Osterman Awards are made possible through the work of the One Chicago Fund with generous support from Motorola Solutions.  

"Through the Kathy Osterman awards, we continue to keep the memory of Kathy alive while celebrating the public servants who follow her example," said Mayor Lightfoot. "The winners and finalists are a true reflection of what it means to be fully committed to serving our residents, and their hard work makes Chicago one of the best cities in the world. I am deeply proud of all City employees who remain committed to Chicago, especially our award winners, and I value their contributions today and always." 

Kathy Osterman was considered a dynamic organizer, Alderman, and City leader who was fully invested in communities across Chicago. She fiercely advocated for the passage of Chicago’s Human Rights Ordinance in 1988. After two years as an Alderman, she retired and was subsequently appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley as the Director of the Mayor's Office of Special Events. In that role, she administered an agency that brought millions of dollars into the local economy each year and had responsibility for the City’s major music festivals, neighborhood festivals, and the Taste of Chicago, the second-largest tourist attraction in Illinois.  

"I'm honored to continue to celebrate my mother's legacy through the Kathy Osterman awards with dozens of City employees, who, just like her, want to ensure our neighborhoods and residents are always met with support and care," said Alderman Harry Osterman, 48^th Ward. "Her commitment to this great City lives on through hard work, and I'm proud that her legacy continues for others to learn about who she was and how one individual can truly make a difference. I thank Mayor Lightfoot and the City of Chicago for recognizing the outstanding work that it takes to be a public servant."  

"We are proud to support the Kathy Osterman Awards, which recognize those who have gone above and beyond to serve our communities each and every day," said Greg Brown, chairman and CEO, Motorola Solutions. "Kathy Osterman was an outstanding public servant, and her legacy lives on through the recipients of these awards."   

The awards were selected through an Awards Selection Committee comprised of human resource professionals from across City departments and Sister Agencies on November 14. The selected winners and finalists are the following: 

Outstanding COVID Recovery Winners 

• Christopher Shields, Chicago Department of Public Health 
• David Adams, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events 

Finalists 

• Dan Cooper, Chicago Park District 
• Kimberly Howard, Department of Family and Support Services 
• Christine Riley, Department of Family and Support Services 
• Sherry Pirtle, Chicago Public Schools 

Outstanding Innovator Winners 

• Donald Biederman, Public Safety Administration 
• Julie Koslowsky, Chicago Public Library 
• Jadine Chou, Chicago Public Schools 

Finalists 

• Evelyn Benitez, Department of Family and Support Services 
• Jonathan Zaentz, Chicago Fire Department 
• Renante Marante, Chicago Department of Public Health 

Outstanding Winners 

• Christina McGleam, Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities 
• Douglas Maclin, Chicago Public Schools 

Finalists 

• Juliet Azimi, Chicago Park District 
• Maura McCauley, Department of Family and Support Services 
• Angel Hawthorne, Department of Water Management 
• Christopher Schenk, Chicago Police Department  

Outstanding Support Staff Winners 

• Elisa Rosario, Department of Water Management 
• Norman White, Commission on Human Relations 
• Mondine Harding, Mayor’s Office 

Finalists 

• Ebony Jones, Chicago Public Library 
• Gayatri Vegesna, Chicago Department of Aviation 
• Jef Johnson, Board of Ethics 
• Sonica Ruiz, Chicago Park District 

Outstanding Mentor Winners 

• Kasandra Henderson, Chicago Transit Authority 
• Stephanie Black, Chicago Department of Public Health 

Finalists 

• Gregory Diaz, Chicago Public Library 
• Jocelyn Romasanta, Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities 
• Luis Benitez, Chicago Department of Transportation 
• Martin Drumm, Chicago Park District 

An ebullient, optimistic, and dynamic individual, Kathy Osterman died of cancer in 1992 but left a legacy of commitment to public service and human rights advocacy. The City’s public service awards were renamed for her in honor of her legacy.  

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