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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to
3congratulate Rita K. Fletcher on the occasion of her
4retirement as a public servant in the field of parks and
5recreation after an illustrious career; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Rita Fletcher received a bachelor's degree in
7parks and recreation administration from Eastern Illinois
8University and a master's degree in recreation administration
9from Aurora University; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Rita Fletcher has more than 39 years of service
11in parks and recreation, and she has built a stellar
12reputation within the community as a standard for how to
13perform park district operations efficiently, effectively, and
14in a fiscally responsible manner; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Rita Fletcher began her career as an athletic
16coordinator at the Wheaton Park District; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Rita Fletcher then worked at the Bartlett Park
18District for 37 years, where she initially served as
19recreation supervisor before being promoted to assistant
20superintendent of recreation in 1996, superintendent of
21recreation in 2002, and executive director in 2005; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Under Rita Fletcher's leadership, the Bartlett
2Park District received the Certificate of Achievement for
3Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance
4Officers Association for 20 consecutive years, and the park
5district has been deemed an Illinois Distinguished Accredited
6Agency since 1999; and
 
7    WHEREAS, For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Rita Fletcher
8managed a district-wide budget of approximately $16 million;
9and
 
10    WHEREAS, Rita Fletcher served as a certification board
11member of the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association (IPRA)
12from 2002 to 2007 and as chair of the IPRA Board of Directors
13in 2017; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Rita Fletcher has been active at the state level,
15attending annual legislative conferences at the Illinois State
16Capitol and legislative meetings with local legislators to
17ensure that her community is always represented and its
18priorities heard; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Rita Fletcher has been the recipient of several
20awards in her field, including the IPRA Administration and
21Finance Section Distinguished Service Award in 2012 and the

 

 

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1IPRA Professional Award in 2013; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Rita Fletcher has served on the National
3Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) Joint Distinguished
4Agency Committee and the NRPA Great Lakes Regional Council
5Committee and as a board member for the Northwest Suburban
6Recreation Association (NWSRA), as president and treasurer of
7the Suburban Park and Recreation Association (SPRA), as a
8member of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association, as a
9member of the National Recreation and Park Association, and as
10a trustee for the Bartlett Parks Foundation; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Rita Fletcher is also very active in her
12community; she has been a member of her local Rotary Club since
132005, serving as president from 2007 to 2008; she has also been
14involved with the Character Counts Coalition, the Bartlett
15Parks Foundation, the Barlett Area Chamber of Commerce, and
16the Youth Athletic Organizations for baseball, football,
17soccer, swimming, cheerleading, and lacrosse; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Through this decades-long commitment to her
19community, Rita Fletcher has cultivated strong working
20relationships with the Village of Bartlett, the Bartlett
21Police Department, the Bartlett Fire Department, Elgin Area
22School District U-46, and the local library district; she has
23also served as a speaker on the subject of girl power at many

 

 

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1state conferences, sharing useful tips on career advancement,
2leadership, and how to be a successful, inspiring female
3leader; therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
5ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Rita
6K. Fletcher on her retirement from the Bartlett Park District,
7and we wish her the very best in all of her future endeavors;
8and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10presented to Rita Fletcher as a symbol of our respect and
11esteem.