SR0345 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0345 LRB102 18792 MST 27493 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, From a very young age, Richard "Rick" Drazner was groomed for a life-long commitment to "service above self"; he harnessed those skills in to a 25-plus year commitment to serving the residents and businesses in the Village of Buffalo Grove; he was a dedicated public servant, a business leader, a religious leader, and a great friend to many in his community; and

WHEREAS, Rick Drazner was a true community servant; he was one of those unsung heroes and was instrumental to the enhancement, betterment, and improvement of his great community; he was a member of the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove for 25 years, serving as president in 2004 to 2005; for years, he was instrumental in providing vocational scholarships; he attended numerous fund-raising events and district conferences and the Rotary International Conference in Chicago in 2005; he could always be found with a contagious smile at the various Rotary, park district, and chamber of commerce events; he lived to support the park district programs, enhance the chamber of commerce, and help the Rotary raise money so that others could benefit; and

WHEREAS, During his public service capacity as a commissioner of the Buffalo Grove Park District for 20 years, Rick Drazner was instrumental in the growth and development of many great parks, such as Willow Stream Park, Mike Rylko Park, and Kendrigan Field at Twin Creeks Park, which is a Buddy Baseball field; he was involved in the growth of many of the facilities, such as the fitness center, the golf dome, and the community arts center, where one of his favorite programs, Broadway Buddies, was developed; these improvements prominently factored into reasons why the Village of Buffalo Grove is given the perennial ranking in the top 50 best towns in the nation to live and the best Chicago suburb to raise a family; in addition to his innovative and active leadership on the park board, he attained the designation of Master Board Member by the Illinois Association of Park Districts for his outstanding service, leadership, and dedication to advancing parks, recreation, conservation, and special recreation agencies throughout Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Rick Drazner had been engaged in the business community as a leader for more than 25 years; he was a member of the Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce for 25-plus years, and he served as president, vice president, treasurer, and director over the years; during his tenure as the president of the chamber of commerce, he enhanced the speaker education program, initiated innovative programs to add value to members' investment, and created an awareness initiative to highlight and promote businesses in Buffalo Grove; and

WHEREAS, Rick Drazner embraced the Buffalo Grove community as a religious leader as well; he served as president and vice president of his temple, Congregation Beth Judea, and taught religious study courses during service; numerous young adults in his community remember him as their camp counselor and remember how he positively impacted their lives; and

WHEREAS, Rick Drazner truly exemplified the spirit of a selfless public servant; he was actively engaged in service because serving others was a part of his DNA; he wanted to make the world a little better each day, and he served at the highest level so that Buffalo Grove and the world community was ameliorated through the great service that he consistently provided for 25-plus years; he did all of this with an incredibly positive attitude and always with his special humor to keep people smiling; and

WHEREAS, Rick Drazner passed away on April 5, 2019, three days after being reelected to the park board of commissioners; Twin Creeks Park, the park where a celebration is being held in his honor, is being renamed the "Rick Drazner Park"; and

WHEREAS, Rick Drazner was a loving husband and father; he was a Rotarian, a park district commissioner, and a chamber of commerce member, and he was active with Congregation Beth Judea; most of all, he was a giver of himself and a friend to all around him, and he supported and deeply believed in service above self; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Rick Drazner and declare July 10, 2021 as "Rick Drazner Day" in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the family of Rick Drazner and the Village of Buffalo Grove.