CHICAGO – Colonel (IL) Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Retired), received the Bicentennial HONOR 200 award as part of Illinois’ official 200th birthday celebration at Navy Pier on Dec. 3, 2018. The Bicentennial Birthday Party showcased the people, places and things that have made Illinois proud over the last 200 years.
The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Illinois Bicentennial Officehonored 200 Illinois Veterans with the Bicentennial HONOR 200 award for their extraordinary dedication to veterans and service members. Nominees were chosen based on their achievements and contributions to aide, benefit and inspire their community.
Pritzker, president and CEO of TAWANI Enterprises, served for 27 years as an enlisted soldier and officer in the U.S. Army, U.S Army Reserves and the Illinois Army National Guard. She retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and received an honorary promotion to full Colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard.
In 2003, she founded the Pritzker Military Museum & Librarylocated in the historic Monroe Building in downtown Chicago. The Museum & Library is open to the public and features an extensive collection of books, programs, artifacts, and rotating exhibits covering many eras and branches of the military.
“The contributions of the citizen soldier are not always well or widely understood,” says Pritzker. “The Pritzker Military Museum and Library works to increase the public understanding of military history and the sacrifices made by the men and women who have served. We also offer a resource center with information and materials on issues affecting veterans and their families.”
Pritzker is the founder and president of the Pritzker Military Foundation, the grant-making arm of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library. Since its inception in 2017, the foundation has given more than $4.2 million to organizations that preserve military history and provide essential resources to active military, veterans and families of service members. The foundation has pledged another $7 million in commitments through 2021.
For more information about the Pritzker Military Museum located at 104 S. Michigan Ave. visit pritzkermilitary.org.
About the Pritzker Military Museum & Library
Founded in 2003, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, located in downtown Chicago, is a nonprofit center where citizens and soldiers come together to learn about military history and affairs. The Museum and Library feature an extensive collection of books, programs, artifacts, and rotating exhibits covering many eras and branches of the military. Programs include a lending library, the archives, recorded TV shows, podcasts and oral histories, and museum exhibits. To learn more about the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, visit www.pritzkermilitary.org or @PritzkerMilitaryLibrary on Facebook.
About TAWANI Enterprises
A visionary umbrella organization with an entrepreneurial outlook, TAWANI Enterprises seeks to make private investments that connect people to the history in their midst and create opportunities for growth and knowledge, while forging stronger, healthier communities. The company represents a diversified portfolio of brands, such as the Stone Heritage Collection, TAWANI’s hospitality arm of thoughtfully designed lodging and event spaces, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, the TAWANI Foundation and the Pritzker Military Foundation. Properties under the Stone Heritage Collection include Lang House, The Emil Bach House, Mayne Stage and The Lincoln Way Inn. For more information, visit https://tawanienterprises.com/wp.
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