HR0237 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0237 LRB103 31984 MST 60777 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to honor former Illinois State Senator Brian Stewart on his 10 years of esteemed service as a member of the Illinois General Assembly and thank him for his dedication to the State of Illinois and his community; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart was born in Freeport to Lester and Genevieve Stewart on October 25, 1957, a fifth generation native of northwest Illinois; he was raised in Freeport along with his siblings, Becky, Bonnie, Brenda, and Brad; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart joined the U.S. Army at the age of 18; he served as a military police officer and military police investigator, and he still maintains the friendships of his fellow soldiers to this day, attending reunions every other year at a selected army base; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart completed his military service with an honorable discharge and returned to Freeport, where he served as a deputy for the Stephenson County Sheriff's Office, rose to rank of sergeant, and served on a major case squad for nine northwestern Illinois counties; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart used his time off from the sheriff's department to start his first private investigating business at his kitchen table in 1987; his hard work and perseverance in small business allowed him to retire from the sheriff's office early to pursue private business endeavors; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart owns several businesses, including his primary business, Stewart and Associates, and services for security, private investigations, background investigations, civil processing, and information technology as well as software businesses; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart built the company from a handful of customers and employees to the largest employer in northwest Illinois with almost 500 employees and service to all 50 states and over 80 countries worldwide and keeps most of his business locations centered in his hometown of Freeport; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart served as an alderman and trustee for Freeport Township; he served as chair and board member of the Northwest Illinois Criminal Justice Commission, and he was also a member of the Stephenson County ETSB(911) Board, the Freeport Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Northwest Illinois Development Alliance; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart has been involved in civic organizations, including the United Way of Northwest Illinois as chairman, the FHN Foundation Be Cancer Free Campaign, and the Stephenson County Employees-UAW Local 2261 as charter president; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart is a current member of the Freeport Rotary, AMVETS Post 32, and the Stephenson County Farm Bureau; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart was appointed in September of 2013 to replace Rep. Jim Sacia in the Illinois House of Representatives; he was sworn in to serve the constituents of the 89th District at the Stephenson County Courthouse on October 4, 2013; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart served in the Illinois House until 2018 when he announced he would seek election to the Illinois Senate for the 45th Senate District, succeeding Senator Tim Bivins; he was sworn in early on December 5, 2018 to represent the 45th District, which encompasses all of Stephenson, Jo Daviess, Ogle, parts of Winnebago, DeKalb, LaSalle, Lee, Whiteside, and Carroll Counties; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart's most distinguishable legislative achievements include those benefiting police officers, firefighters, and emergency personnel; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart served as a lawmaker for over 10 years and served his constituents with determination and class; he earned the respect and admiration of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart's warmth, kindness, generosity, humor, and quick smile have been appreciated by the lawmakers, staff, employees, and citizens of Illinois; he was able to bring people together for the betterment of our State and the communities he served during his time in the General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Stewart often says "Your past does not define your future" and believes that hard work, dedication, and integrity can help someone achieve the American Dream in Illinois, and he hopes that his story will inspire many generations to come to pursue their own American Dream; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor former Illinois State Senator Brian Stewart on his 10 years of esteemed service as a member of the Illinois General Assembly and thank him for his dedication to the State of Illinois and his community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Sen. Stewart as a symbol of our respect and esteem.