SR0059 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0059 LRB103 30576 MST 57013 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to congratulate Dan Meckes on becoming the fifth board chair in the 76th year history of Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc. (CMT), where he will be responsible for the strategic direction of the firm; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes served as the president and chief executive officer of CMT; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes will reach his 40th year of service with CMT in 2023; and

WHEREAS, Under Dan Meckes' leadership, CMT was recognized as the 2014 Engineering News Records Midwest Design Firm of the Year; and

WHEREAS, CMT was also recognized with the honor of receiving Consultant of the Year in 2013 from MoDOT's External Civil Rights Division and, in 2012, was recognized by the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce as one of three recipients of the Outstanding Business of the Year; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes helped secure several projects for CMT through the Illinois tollways after years of drought by building positive relationships and highlighting the special qualities that CMT offers; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes navigated CMT to new heights through disciplined expansions, remarkable leadership, personal integrity, kindness, interpersonal skills, and profound stature; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes was named the 2012 Outstanding Engineer in Private Practice by the St. Louis Chapter of the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes was named the 2019 Sustainability Award Winner by the ICAT Executive Board; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes serves on the diversity and executive boards of the Innovations Conference on Infrastructure and offers significant support to minority and women-owned business enterprises; and

WHEREAS, For the past decade, Dan Meckes worked with Dr. Amir Al-Khafaji to determine the annual guest list for the executive summit that brought together world-class leaders from business, legislatures, government, and education to address major problems facing the infrastructure industry; and

WHEREAS, For over a decade, Dan Meckes chaired the Sustainable Funding of Infrastructure Group of Illinois ($FIG), which was formed by past Illinois Senate President John Cullerton; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes traveled with Dr. Al-Khafaji as a speaker at an international conference in Egypt to present an article on funding sources of infrastructure in Illinois and a second article on funding of infrastructure at the U.S. federal level; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes was called "Dr. Meckes" because of the quality of his presentations in Egypt; and

WHEREAS, For more than a decade, Dan Meckes worked with Dr. Al-Khafaji to focus on Illinois infrastructure funding with senators, house members, governors, and CEOs of major companies, including Caterpillar Inc., and these efforts helped produce the $45 billion Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan in 2019; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes supported minority students, minority businesses, and the conferences led by Dr. Al-Khafaji that became premier events where leaders gathered to build new relationships and partnerships to help the State of Illinois and the United States; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes supported Dr. Al-Khafaji's many conferences, which attracted such guests as the Prime Minister of Egypt, the President of the Illinois Senate, the Governor of Illinois, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, the Illinois Secretary of Transportation, the Chicago Commissioner of Aviation, the Chairman of the Illinois Tollway Authority, and CEOs of some of the largest companies in the world; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes was recently elected to serve as a 2023-2025 national officer with the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the oldest and largest professional trade organization of engineering companies; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes and his fellow officers-elect will begin their terms at ACEC's 2023 Spring Convention and Legislative Summit, slated for a June convening in Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes served as the chair of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Missouri; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes currently serves on the Missouri Chamber Board of Directors and the Illinois Chamber PAC Board; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes is grateful for the love and support he received from his family and especially his wife, Heidi, his daughter, Justine Greever, his son-in-law, Josiah Greever, his brother, Bob, and his brother's wife, Melissa, his sister, Jane, and his sister's husband, Kevin Alberts, and his mother, Ann Meckes; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes is a licensed professional engineer in Illinois and Missouri; and

WHEREAS, Dan Meckes earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Marquette University; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Dan Meckes on becoming the fifth board chair of Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc. and thank him for his service to the citizens of the State of Illinois, especially minority students, and for his work to make our country a better place for all; and be it further

RESOLVED, That that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Dan Meckes as a symbol of our esteem and respect.