HR0827 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0827 LRB103 40914 LAW 73906 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate David Sam, Ph.D. on the occasion of his retirement as president of Elgin Community College (ECC); and

WHEREAS, Dr. Sam began serving as the eighth president of ECC on February 12, 2007; during his tenure, academic excellence, student success and completion, reduction of student loan debt, community outreach, partnerships, workforce development, equity, diversity and inclusion, and financial prudence have become the hallmarks of his presidency, and he has directed ECC towards achieving extraordinary results through collaborating with a visionary and engaged board of trustees, an outstanding and dedicated faculty, and a competent and committed team of administrators and staff; and

WHEREAS, Under Dr. Sam's leadership, ECC was named one of 25 semifinalists, out of 1,047 community colleges nationwide, for the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, and the college was previously named an Aspen Top 150 College in 2015, 2019, and 2021; he oversaw ECC joining the student success initiative Achieving the Dream in 2009, earning the institution a Leader College status from 2012 to 2022 before then receiving the designation of a Leader College of Distinction; he led ECC's efforts to pass a $178 million capital referendum in 2009, transforming the campus into a modern, state-of-the-art learning environment; his guidance has been essential towards securing financial stability and sound fiscal management for ECC, earning the college an Aaa rating from Moody's Ratings since 2009 and an AA+ rating from Standard & Poor's since 2010; and

WHEREAS, Before joining ECC, Dr. Sam served as president of North Harris College in Texas for six-and-a-half years; previously, he served as dean of the Community & Technical College and a social science and business management professor at the University of Akron, Ohio; prior to that, he served as vice president for Faculty and Instruction at Harrisburg Area Community College in Pennsylvania, as acting vice president of Academic Affairs and dean of Natural and Social Sciences at Mott Community College in Michigan, and as assistant professor/coordinator of International Studies at College of DuPage in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Sam, a native of Ghana, West Africa, received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Political Science, and History from Illinois State University (ISU); he earned a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy and a Ph.D. in International Economic and Political Relations from Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy; he also obtained an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, a Juris Doctor from the University of Akron School of Law, and a Master of Laws (LLM) in Energy Law and Policy at the University of Dundee, United Kingdom; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Sam serves on the boards of directors for the St. Charles Bank & Trust, Alignment Collaborative for Education, the Golden Corridor Family YMCA, and the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce, holding the office of chair from May 2015 to January 2017; he is an Illinois Phi Theta Kappa Presidential Ambassador and an active member of the Rotary Club of Elgin; he also belongs to the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents, serving as secretary/treasurer from 2021 to 2022, vice chair from 2022 to 2023, and chair from 2023 to 2024; as a licensed attorney, he is a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the Energy Bar Association, and the American Bar Association; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Sam has received a number of accolades, including being inducted into the ISU College of Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame, being named a Rotary International Club's Paul Harris Fellow, and receiving the Phi Theta Kappa's Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction, Judson University's D. Ray Wilson Volunteer Service Award, the Illinois Community College Trustees Association's Gary W. Davis Ethical Leadership Award, the Elgin Cosmopolitan Club's Distinguished Service Award, and an Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs Member Emeritus Award; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Sam has left an indelible mark on ECC, and of the more than 68,167 degrees and certificates ECC has awarded since its founding in 1949, approximately 55.9% have been awarded during his tenure; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate David Sam, Ph.D. on his retirement as president of Elgin Community College (ECC), and we commend him for his exemplary service and dedication to the students, faculty, staff, and community of ECC; and be it further

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