SR1343 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1343 LRB102 29776 ECR 41845 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Stephen "Steve" Riess of Hawthorn Woods, who passed away on November 8, 2022; and

WHEREAS, Steve Riess was born to Hans and Gladys (Ross) Riess in Evanston on January 5, 1953; as a boy, he spent his summers camping, fishing, and learning to identify all varieties of trees and birds; and

WHEREAS, Steve Riess served as a trustee of Hawthorn Woods Village for over 23 years; he first took the oath of office on May 10, 1999, and he was reelected for another five terms; during his tenure, he was a strong advocate for the purchase of equipment and technology to ensure village staff had the best tools possible to smoothly perform their customer service duties to the residents and the business community; he was instrumental in securing radios in all Public Works trucks and led the effort towards providing recycling containers in all public parks and facilities; he was also a member of the Village's Business Continuity Work Group, and he was a strong leader in advising staff in technology; and

WHEREAS, Steve Riess additionally served the Hawthorn Woods community by dedicating his time to various committees; he was first appointed to the Finance Committee on January 13, 2009, where he passionately advocated for the importance of providing a sustainable funding mechanism for the repair and maintenance of village roads and provided institutional knowledge about funding of past road programs; since October 21, 1999, he served on the Environmental Committee, now known as the Sustainability Committee, where he created public education programs and workshops; and

WHEREAS, Steve Riess' passion for environmental preservation included his work in establishing a relationship with the Chicago Regional Tree Initiative to collect data on the Hawthorn Woods Tree Canopy, his leadership in applying for and Hawthorn Woods being awarded seven Tree City Awards from the National Arbor Day Foundation, his efforts to secure a Community Growth Award from the National Arbor Day Foundation, his work in creating the Heritage Tree Designation for the village, his leadership in reviewing, revising, and updating the village's Tree Ordinance, his efforts in investigating the plausibility of creating floating habitat islands in village waterways, his work to create a Tree Management Plan through a grant from the Morton Arboretum and the U.S. Forestry Department, his involvement in implementing a village-wide annual Arbor Day observance by distributing trees to District 95 students and residents with over 2,000 saplings being provided in the last seven years, his efforts to educate staff and residents about the impact of phosphorus in lawncare applications, his implementation of the Adopt-A-Highway program along Old McHenry Road, and his volunteerism in planting flower bulbs throughout Hawthorn Woods; and

WHEREAS, Steve Riess also dedicated his time with service on the District 95 Alternative Employment Committee, promoting careers that did not require a college education, such as the trades, truck driving, and landscaping; through this work, he served as a mentor to several high school and post high school students and recruited county businesses to provide internships or work/study programs; he also served as a director to the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County and was a frequent lecturer at both the Ela Area Public Library and the Fremont Public Library; and

WHEREAS, Steve Riess will be fondly remembered for his quick wit, his love of good food, and his love for the outdoors, where he felt most at home; and

WHEREAS, Steve Riess is survived by his loving wife, MaryAnn; his daughters, Sarah and Rachel; his grandson, Gabriel; and his brother, Martin; 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 Stephen "Steve" Riess and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Steve Riess as an expression of our deepest sympathy.