SR0173 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0173 LRB103 31685 MST 60211 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to congratulate Dr. Sylvia M. Jenkins on the occasion of her retirement as president of Moraine Valley Community College; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Jenkins became the fifth president of Moraine Valley Community College, one of the largest community colleges in Illinois, on July 1, 2012; she previously served as vice president of Academic Affairs, dean of Academic Development & Learning Resources, assistant dean for the Center for Teaching & Learning/director of the library, public services librarian at Moraine Valley in Palos Hills, and director of Library Services and public services librarian at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Jenkins was appointed by Gov. JB Pritzker to sit on the Illinois Community College Board (2021) and serves on several other boards, including the League for Innovation in the Community College (chair 2018-19), Community Colleges for International Development (chair 2019-20), the Moraine Area Career Systems CEO Council, the Chicago Regional College Program, and the South Metropolitan Higher Education Consortium Presidents' Council; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Jenkins served on the Higher Learning Commission's Partners in Transformation advisory group on innovation in higher education (2017-19); she was an elected member of the American Association of Community College's board of directors (2016-19); she served from 2016-19 as an associate member regional representative of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities; since 2016, she has served as a National Advisory Board member for the Ferris State University Doctorate in Community College Leadership (chair 2021-22) and was featured in its 2017 Legendary Leadership video series; she is a member of the Illinois Green Economy Network President's Steering Committee; she is a member of the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents (vice chair 2019-20, chair 2020-21); she also serves on the Cook County Workforce Innovation Board and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County's Conservation and Policy Council; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Jenkins was selected by District 3 of the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations as its 2021 Pacesetter of the Year for demonstrating leadership and support of college communication and marketing efforts; in June of 2021, she also received the Advocacy Award from the Illinois Community College Trustees Association for her leadership in advocating for the needs of students and the community college system in Illinois; in December 2018, the Council for Advancement in Support of Education (CASE) presented her with the CASE V Chief Executive Leadership Award, and she received the Craig Stettner Award for Environmental Education from the Chicago Audubon Society in spring 2019; in February 2018, she was recognized by Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs with an Outstanding Commitment in Education Award; in June 2017, she was recognized with the Mosque Foundation's 2017 Leadership Award for exemplary efforts in fostering the celebration of diversity in the college and community; in 2017, she was recognized with a scholarship in her name through the Moraine Valley Foundation — the Dr. Sylvia M. Jenkins Women's Leadership Scholarship, which is an annual scholarship to support the education goals of future female leaders; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Jenkins was a panelist for the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics World Congress in Melbourne, Australia on Establishing Holistic Partnerships to Embed Cybersecurity (October 2018); she was an external juror for Johnson County Community College's BNSF Railway Faculty Achievement Award (May 2018); she was an invited keynote speaker for Drexel University's Assessment Conference (September 2017); she was a co-presenter at the Association of Community College Trustees Leadership Congress (October 2016) and a panelist at the 2016 Assessment Institute hosted by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (October 2016); she was a co-presenter at the League for Innovation in the Community College's Innovations Conference (March 2016); she has also been an invited faculty member of the League for Innovation's Executive Leadership Institute/ELI (2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019); and

WHEREAS, Dr. Jenkins is a member of the Rotary Club of Moraine Valley and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Chicago Alumnae Chapter; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Jenkins holds a Ph.D. in Education and Human Resource Studies with a specialization in Community College Leadership from Colorado State University, a Master of Library Science from State University of New York at Albany, and a Bachelor of Science in English Education from Grambling State University; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Jenkins and her husband, Craig, have four daughters, Carmen, Courtney, Christine, and Carol, and 10 grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Dr. Sylvia M. Jenkins on her retirement as president of Moraine Valley Community College, and we wish her the best in all her future endeavors; and be it further

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