HR0902 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0902 LRB102 28447 LAW 40319 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Richard J. Mark on the occasion of his retirement as president of Ameren Illinois Companies; and

WHEREAS, Richard Mark is the son of Joseph and Cleola Mark; he is a native of Collinsville and graduated from Collinsville High School; he attended Iowa State University from 1973 to 1977, where he played defensive back for the Cyclones under Coach Earle Bruce and earned his bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education; and

WHEREAS, Richard Mark has led a non-traditional career, initially working in education and coaching football; he then worked for a police department, a county government, and a political campaign before working in hospital administration for 11 years, including six years as president and chief executive officer of St. Mary's Hospital in East St. Louis and five years as chief operating officer; during this time, he also led the East St. Louis District 189 Financial Oversight Panel, helping the district reemerge with $20 million in reserves 10 years after it had initially faced $4 million in debt; and

WHEREAS, Richard Mark has served the Ameren Corporation for the past 20 years, leading Ameren Illinois as president since 2012; under his direction, Ameren Illinois has undertaken a transformative overhaul of the Illinois electric grid and natural gas infrastructure, installing advanced technologies, improving reliability, reducing outages, and creating thousands of jobs in communities throughout central and southern Illinois; his focus on customer satisfaction further earned Ameren Illinois a top-tier ranking among Midwest Large Utilities by JD Power; additionally, he has been credited with increasing Ameren Illinois' corporate philanthropy efforts and focusing on building stronger local communities, directing more than $22 million in donations to downstate Illinois non-profits and service organizations; he has also served as a champion of diversity, opening doors for more minorities to grow into leadership positions in Ameren Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Richard Mark has served on multiple boards of directors, including the American Gas Association, the Tenet Healthcare Corporation, the Madison Mutual Insurance Company, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, and Fontbonne University; he is also chairman of the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois and founding director of the Illinois Utilities Business Diversity Council; and

WHEREAS, Richard Mark has been recognized locally and nationally for his leadership numerous times, including being named one the Top 10 National Business Leaders by African-American Career World magazine in 2015, receiving the Illinois Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus' Appreciation Award in 2016, and being named the EMpower 100 Ethnic Minority Leader in 2017; he has also received three honorary doctoral degrees for his civic and community work; and

WHEREAS, Richard Mark is the husband of Missy Mark and the father of Fontez Mark, Joseph Mark, and Megan Gardner; and

WHEREAS, Richard Mark will retire on August 1, 2022; his legacy of hard work, commitment to customers, visionary thinking, serving as a voice for Downstate Illinois on utility-related legislation, and philanthropy will continue at Ameren Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Richard J. Mark on his retirement from the Ameren Illinois Companies and wish him continued success in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Richard Mark as an expression of our esteem and respect.