ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS DIRECTOR ROCCO CLAPS TO RECEIVE 2014 MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS FOUNDATION EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

(CHICAGO) The Civic Federation and Motorola Solutions Foundation are pleased to announce the 2014 Excellence in Public Service honoree, Rocco Claps, Director of the Illinois Department of Human Rights.

The Excellence in Public Service Award recognizes a non-elected government official who has had an extraordinary impact on the quality of state and local government services in Illinois. The award will be presented on Thursday, December 11, 2014 at the Palmer House Hilton with a coffee reception beginning at 8:00 a.m., followed by breakfast and the award program at 8:30 a.m.

Rocco Claps is the longest-serving director of the Illinois Department of Human Rights in the agency's history. Prior to his appointment in 2003, Claps served as deputy assessor for Cook County and held several positions in the Clinton administration including Chief of Staff for the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. He began his career as a communications and special projects coordinator for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Director Claps has led the work of the Department of Human Rights to establish civil unions, prevent sexual harassment on college campuses, reduce bullying in schools and to increase state employment opportunities for people with disabilities. He led a successful campaign in 2005 to include sexual orientation in the Illinois Human Rights Act. Director Claps has also expanded the Department's outreach with an active social media presence and the translation of anti-discrimination and fair housing brochures into 15 different languages.

As the State's budget crisis continues, Director Claps has developed alternative revenue sources to protect the Department's programs including a work sharing relationship with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and a new fee structure for the Department's Training and Public Contract Units.

Rocco Claps is the first openly gay cabinet official in Illinois history. He was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 2013 for his work in the LGBT community and his career in public service.

For more information about the awards breakfast on December 11th, please visit www.civicfed.org/events. To request an invitation, please contact Briana Wagner at PJH & Associates at (312) 553-2000.

The Motorola Solutions Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions. With employees located around the globe, Motorola Solutions seeks to benefit the communities where it operates. The company achieves this by making strategic grants, forging strong community partnerships and fostering innovation. The Motorola Solutions Foundation focuses its funding on public safety, disaster relief, employee programs and education, especially science, technology, engineering and math programming. For more information on Motorola Solutions Corporate and Foundation giving, visit www.motorolasolutions.com/foundation.

The Civic Federation is an independent, non-partisan government research organization that promotes efficient delivery of public services and sustainable tax policies in the Chicago region and State of Illinois. For more information, please visit the Federation's website at www.civicfed.org.

Past honorees include City of Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Rosemarie Andolino, Director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Julie Hamos, former City of Chicago First Lady Margaret C. Daley, Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority Trustee Jim Reilly, United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and past Chicago Transit Authority President Ron Huberman.