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Honoring Gerald T. Hendrickson for his forty-two years of service to the City of Saint Paul and the Office of the City Attorney.
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WHEREAS, Gerald T. Hendrickson has dedicated forty-two years of service to the people of the City of Saint Paul and the Office of the City Attorney. His retirement marks the end of an extensive and distinguished public law career. Jerry’s tenure in the City Attorney’s Office is an irreplaceable legacy and he will be truly missed; and
WHEREAS, Jerry’s legal career with the City began as a law clerk in 1974. Upon his graduation from the William Mitchell College of Law in 1978, Jerry was promptly hired as an Assistant City Attorney and assigned to the Criminal Division. Jerry was subsequently named the City’s Chief Prosecutor in charge of the Criminal Division. As Chief Prosecutor Jerry was instrumental in implementing strategies to aggressively deal with the prosecution of domestic assault crimes; and
WHEREAS, Jerry has always been willing to take on new assignments and, in 1992, he transferred to the Civil Litigation Division. There he effectively guided the City through the intricacies of numerous civil litigation cases with his trial and negotiation skills. In 1998 Jerry was assigned to the Civil Administrative Division where he provided legal advice to the Department of Human Resources. Jerry was appointed Deputy City Attorney of the Civil Division in 2002 and for the ensuing fourteen years Jerry effectively managed and guided the City’s civil legal affairs; and
WHEREAS, Whether providing legal advice during innumerable City Council meetings or sorting through the diverse interests of City departments, Jerry’s advice and counsel was always given graciously and patiently and the recipients of that advice and counsel knew they could confidently perform their duties to the public with the knowledge that their actions upheld the rule of law; and
WHEREAS, Jerry always gave time generously to assist his colleagues in the City Attorney’s Office. Those of us that had the privilege of practicing public law with Jerry have benefited from his advice and his supervision. We will particularly miss his wisdom, selfless motivation, and above all, his profound integrity.
WHEREAS, Jerry’s dedication to the City of Saint Paul is overshadowed only by his dedication to family. Too often, a public lawyer’s devotion to the well-being of the community comes at the expense of family. To his wife Diane, and to their daughters Anne - her sons Gabe and Jonah - and Christy - and her husband Bryce and their children Rosie and Eliza - and to their sons Joe - his wife Sonia and their children Ada and Celia, to Tom - and his wife Erin, and to John, thank you for your patience and understanding; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED, in grateful and sincere recognition that after forty-two years of public service, the inestimable benefits Gerald T. Hendrickson has provided to his clients and to his colleagues in the City Attorney Office has, without a doubt, left the City of Saint Paul “Never Better!”