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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of  
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Representatives are pleased to honor Mary Jo Arndt of Lombard 
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for her many years of dedicated service to the people of 
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Illinois and the nation; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mary Jo Arndt is a graduate of Northern Illinois 
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University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in 
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education; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mary Jo Arndt has devoted much of her career to 
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political activism; she currently serves as the Chairman for 
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the Illinois Women for McCain campaign; she is a former member 
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of the Republican National Committee for Illinois and a member 
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of the RNC Executive Committee from the Midwestern Region; she 
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serves on the Board of Directors of the American Women for 
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International Understanding and is a member and advisor of the 
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Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Illinois; she is also 
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a member of the Xilin Association Board of Directors; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mary Jo Arndt is a Past President of the National 
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Federation of Republican Women, a grassroots network of over 
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100,000 members organized in 2,000 local chapters throughout 
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the United States, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin 
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Islands; she is also a past president of the Illinois 
 


 






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Federation of Republican Women; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mary Jo Arndt is well known among her peers as a 
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pioneer in efforts to increase opportunities for women in 
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politics, government, and education, actively working to 
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expand the party's base by bringing a diverse group of women 
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into the political system; with the support of the late Lee 
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Atwater, she founded the Illinois Republican Committeewoman's 
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Roundtable in 1989, which successfully broadens the Party's 
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reach into new communities of women; during Atwater's term, she 
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served as a member of the RNC Small Business Advisory 
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Committee; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Through her work with the Roundtable, Mary Jo 
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Arndt established the Illinois Lincoln Excellence in Public 
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Service Series, an RNC-endorsed program that annually awards 
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ten to fifteen fellowships to women to study government and 
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politics; the organization seeks to increase the number of 
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Republican women in national and State government and party 
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decision-making positions; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mary Jo Arndt is well regarded as a pioneer of 
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grassroots involvement; she is currently serving her 
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seventeenth term as a DuPage County Precinct Committeeman; as 
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Precinct Committeeman, she managed the first door-to-door 
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voter blitz in Illinois, which became the model for the 
 


 






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national Republican program; in 1988, she initiated the 
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Surrogate Speakers Program for President George Bush, the 
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forerunner of the successful "Women Who Win" program; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Mary Jo Arndt served as a member of the U.S. Small 
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Business Administration National Advisory Council from 2001 
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until 2007; she was selected as one of 100 women to participate 
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in Leadership America by the Foundation for Women's Resources; 
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she served as a member of the National Board of Directors of 
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Leadership America from 2001 through 2006; she also serves as a 
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member of the Advisory Board of Leadership Illinois; and

 
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    WHEREAS, As a member of the Illinois Governor's Commission 
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on the Status of Women, Mary Jo Arndt served on the Working 
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Group on Balancing Work and Family, which explored issues such 
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as child care, elder care, and pension reform; she was 
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appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the President's 
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Commission on White House Fellows, then was reappointed by 
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President George Bush; she served as an observer of the 
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Romanian elections in May of 1990; during the Reagan 
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Administration, she became a U.S. Senate confirmed appointment 
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to the National Advisory Council on Women's Educational 
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Programs, where she served as chairman of the Women's 
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Educational Equity Act Committee and served as a member of the 
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Advisory Committee to the Illinois State Superintendent of 
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Schools; she also served, by appointment of the Governor, on 
 


 






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the Illinois Commission for the Celebration of the 75th 
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Anniversary of the 19th Amendment; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Mary Jo Arndt has been twice named a "Power 
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Personality", a woman who makes a difference in the business 
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and social environment of the Chicago area, by Today's Chicago 
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Woman; she was also selected by the Gallup Organization as a 
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"Visionary Leader for the 21st Century" and awarded her a full 
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scholarship to the Gallup Leadership Institute; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mary Jo Arndt serves as the managing partner and 
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hospital administrator of the Lombard Veterinary Hospital with 
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her husband, Dr. Paul W. Arndt, and her daughter, Dr. 
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Georgianne Arndt Ludwig; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Mary Jo considers her best achievements to be her 
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three daughters, Dr. Kristi Arndt, D.V.M., Ed.M., Ph.D.; Kerri 
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Arndt Roselli, M.P.A.; and Dr. Georgianne Arndt Ludwig, D.V.M., 
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as well as her four grandchildren; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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honor Mary Jo Arndt of Lombard for her many years of dedicated 
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service to the people of Illinois and the nation and wish her 
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continued success in her future endeavors; and be it further

 
 


 






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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to Mary Jo Arndt as a symbol of our esteem and 
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respect.