HR1266 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1266 LRB095 21014 GRL 50119 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Roger Key on the occasion of his retirement as Executive Director of the Arlington Heights Park District after 35 years of dedicated service at the end of June 2008; and

WHEREAS, Roger Key has served the Arlington Heights Park District for 35 years and has been in the park and recreation profession for over 38 years; he has held various positions within the Park District; he began his career in 1973 as a Recreation Coordinator, followed by 3 years as Assistant Superintendent of Recreation, 13 years as Superintendent of Recreation, and 9 years as Director of Recreation and Facilities; and

WHEREAS, In 2002, Roger Key was promoted to the position of Executive Director of the Arlington Heights Park District; as Executive Director, he manages an agency that serves a community of 78,000 residents with a budget of $24 million and a staff of over 100 full-time and 1,000 part-time employees; as Executive Director, his work ethic, leadership skills, and enthusiasm for the profession have been readily evident on a daily basis; and

WHEREAS, Roger Key has been instrumental in the development and renovation of many projects in the Arlington Heights Park District, including the re-development of the Pioneer Park Community Center, the development of the Sunset Meadows Driving Range Project, the renovation of the Olympic Indoor Swim Center, the development of the Lake Arlington 50 acre boating facility, the development of the Nickol Knoll Clubhouse and golf course, the re-development of the Historical Museum Intergovernmental Agreement, the development of Melas Park Sports Complex, the development of the Counselor-in-the-Park Program, the re-development of four outdoor swimming pools and one indoor pool, the development of the Children at Play (CAP) Program, and the development of a cooperative senior programming at the state-of-the-art Senior Center; and

WHEREAS, Roger Key was the driving force behind the joint construction of two community gymnasiums with local school districts, while avoiding duplication of services and the spending of tax dollars; he was also responsible for overseeing the 2006/2007 recreation programming of the District, which included over 260,000 participants and over 1,458,900 participation hours; and

WHEREAS, Roger Key is well known by his peers as a "hands-on" administrator; he is the first to stop by events or activities on the weekends and evenings and has been an active "co-worker" at District-wide events, such as the annual Picnic in Park, Guard Competition, the City Swim Meet, and the local Frontier Days community festival; he regularly visits the community centers, pools, tennis clubs, and golf courses and meets with part-time staff, instructors, registrars, and patrons; as a leader, he believes that input from all levels of the organization are important to maintaining quality customer service and well-informed staff; and

WHEREAS, Roger Key has worked with administrative staff and local officials of the village, school districts, library, and businesses to promote not only quality recreation facilities and programs, but a quality of life that is unique to Arlington Heights; he has been instrumental in numerous cooperative agreements with local government agencies and park districts; he has also coordinated the construction of joint-use gymnasiums and encourages staff development of joint programming and events with local agencies; and

WHEREAS, Roger Key has also devoted great time and effort toward other professional outreach programs; he has served on the Distinguished Leisure Agency committee since 1996 and chaired the committee in 2002; he has been very involved on the IPRA Mentor committee, working with professionals interested in "mentoring" other professionals; he has served on the Northwest Special Recreation Association's Board of Directors since 2002, serving as the board's Chairman in 2006; he is also active in numerous civic organizations, such as the Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs; and

WHEREAS, Roger Key is an avid runner and swimmer; in 2006, he ran the Chicago Marathon with his daughter; he then qualified and ran in the Boston Marathon in April of 2007 and April of 2008; and

WHEREAS, Roger Key will be remembered fondly by his colleagues as an ethical, diligent, dedicated, kind, and caring worker, supervisor, and friend; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Roger Key on the occasion of his retirement and wish him continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

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