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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Dr. Robert L. Mees currently serves as President
3of John A. Logan College, which serves over 20,000 students
4each semester in its career and transfer programs, continuing
5education programs, adult education programs, and Center for
6Business and Industry; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Dr. Robert Mees has over 40 years of service in
8education as a community college president and vice president,
9public school superintendent, principal, and math teacher; he
10has a distinguished record of being very committed to P-20
11initiatives, which focus on articulation and cooperation from
12pre-school through higher education; he is a member of several
13regional and state-wide organizations that focus on P-20
14initiatives and serves as executive secretary/treasurer for
15the Southern Illinois Schoolmasters and the Illinois
16Association of School Administrators Shawnee Division; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Dr. Robert Mees has shown his leadership skills by
18being involved at the State level with the Illinois Council of
19Community College Presidents and served as president of the
20organization in 2008-2009; he has a record of working very
21closely with the Illinois Community College Trustees
22Association and was one of the first presidents to receive the
23Trustee Education Award from ICCTA in 2007 and the Outstanding

 

 

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1Advocacy Award in 2008; he is a past president of the Illinois
2Community College Chief Academic Officers Organization; he
3also a member of a state-wide core group responsible for the
4Generations Serving Generation initiative, which promotes
5lifelong learning, volunteerism, civic engagement, and
6part-time employment for retirees; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Dr. Robert Mees has collaborated with educational
8and government leaders in the People's Republic of China on
9developing a community college system in their country; these
10efforts have included conducting a series of lectures in China
11on the American and Illinois Community College Systems and
12having two papers published in China on the American community
13college system, which were the first ever published in China on
14this topic; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Dr. Robert Mees has been very involved in his
16community and has taken on leadership roles with the Regional
17Economic Development Corporation, the Southern Illinois
18Workforce Investment Board, Connect SI, Southern Business
19Journal, Southern Illinois Schoolmasters, the Illinois
20Association of School Administrators, the Egypt Council of the
21Boy Scouts, "I Can Read" of Southern Illinois, the Carterville
22Planning Commission, the Carterville Chamber of Commerce, the
23Route 13 Corridor Development Group, the Educational Council of
24100, the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross,

 

 

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1and the Alzheimer's Association; he served as president of both
2the SIU Alumni Association and SIU-C Jackson County Alumni Club
3and served on the association's national board for 9 years; he
4is also a member of the Carterville Lions Club, Marion Rotary
5Club, and Carbondale Elks Club; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In recognition of his hard work and dedication to
7education, Dr. Robert Mees has been the recipient of several
8notable honors, including the Cambridge Who's Who "Top 101
9Industry Experts 2011", the Award of Merit from Educational of
10100, the "Leaders Among Us" award from the Southern Business
11Journal, the Outstanding Educator award from Phi Delta Kappa,
12SIU-C Chapter, the Distinguished Service award from the SIU
13Alumni Association, Williamson County Chapter, the Friend of
14Education award from the Illinois Principals Association,
15Shawnee Region, the Frank Samuel Community Service award from
16the Carterville Chamber of Commerce, the Carterville Chamber of
17Commerce's Member of the Year award, the Service to Southern
18Illinois Award from the SIU Alumni Association, Jackson County
19Chapter; and the Educator of the Year awards from the
20Carbondale Jaycees; therefore, be it
 
21    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
22NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
23we congratulate Dr. Robert L. Mees on the occasion of his 40
24years of service to his community as an educator and for

 

 

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1helping to educate, inspire, and enlighten the people of
2southern Illinois and recognizes him for his many achievements,
3the leadership role he has played in education on the local,
4State, and international levels, and his life-long dedication
5to the field of education; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7delivered to Dr. Robert Mees as a symbol of our respect and
8esteem.