Governor Ryan Leads Business Delegation to New York City

Press Release - Tuesday, October 02, 2001

NEW YORK -- Governor George H. Ryan and a delegation of business leaders will travel to New York City this morning to express support for Governor Pataki and Mayor Giuliani as they lead the recovery efforts after the September 11 terrorist attacks and to promote Illinois and New York returning to business.

"We hope this business trip will be just one of hundreds of thousands of such trips that Americans take in the days and weeks ahead," said Governor Ryan who flew with the delegation on a United Airlines flight to New York and will return Wednesday on American Airlines. "Nothing that happened on September 11th changed our commitment to keeping our economy strong. It is more important now than ever. "

Governor Ryan will begin the trip with a visit to Governor Pataki's New York offices. The business delegation will join the governors as they discuss ways the State of Illinois and its business community can assist the people of New York.

The Aon Corporation, based in Illinois, suffered the loss of 180 employees at their World Trade Center Offices. The delegation will visit Aon's CEO Pat Ryan at Aon's temporary facilities, and offer the support of the Illinois business community to Aon and its employees.

Gov. Ryan will be joined in New York by:

Pat Ryan, CEO, Aon, Inc. Bill Brodsky, Chairman and CEO, Chicago Board Options Exchange Richard Thomas, Civic Committee member and former chairman of the First Chicago/NBD Eden Martin, president, Civic Committee Guy Chipparoni, president Kemper Lesnik Public Affairs Ron Gidwitz, chairman of the Field Museum and the Illinois State Board of Education, managing partner, GCG Partnership Cyrus Friedheim, Booz Allen and Hamilton

Mayor Giuliani has invited Governor Ryan and his delegation to a private briefing at the Mayor's Emergency Command Center where they will receive information on the status of the rescue and rebuilding efforts.

"This country thanks both Mayor Giuliani and Governor Pataki for the calm and strength and sense of purpose they have shown in the darkest hour of this nation's history. There is a sense of hope because of your leadership," said Governor Ryan. "We are all here to commend you. Illinois State government and its business and civic leaders continue to stand ready to do anything and everything you need to recover from this act of terror."

"Today in the New York Times we ran an ad which expresses our sentiment. It quotes a great son of Illinois, our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. He delivered simple remarks at a civil war battlefield, remarks he thought the world would little note nor long remember." Governor Ryan added. "He said : 'It is for us, the living....to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us-that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.'"

"Those words are more powerful, more true today than ever before. So, the ad says that in the spirit of Abraham Lincoln, we stand united with New York and Washington and that we are committed to moving forward with the business of the country."