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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives are pleased to congratulate Illinois Community | ||||||
4 | College Board President and Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey | ||||||
5 | Obrzut on the occasion of his retirement; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Geoffrey Obrzut has served the citizens of the | ||||||
7 | State of Illinois in government for more than 30 years; he has | ||||||
8 | served as State Representative for the 52nd district in the | ||||||
9 | Illinois General Assembly, where he represented both Triton | ||||||
10 | College and Oakton Community College; he was a member of the | ||||||
11 | Triton College Board of Trustees in River Grove from 1981-1987; | ||||||
12 | and
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13 | WHEREAS, Geoffrey Obrzut has served as past officer and | ||||||
14 | chairman of the State Relations Committee of the Illinois | ||||||
15 | Community College Trustees Association; he was awarded the | ||||||
16 | Illinois Community College Trustees Association "Outstanding | ||||||
17 | Alumnus of the Year" award in 1986 and the Illinois Student | ||||||
18 | Association "Outstanding Service Award" in 1992; he served as | ||||||
19 | chairman of the National Council of State Directors of | ||||||
20 | Community Colleges from July 2009 through June 2010; and
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21 | WHEREAS, Geoffrey Obrzut initiated the formation of the | ||||||
22 | ICCB Latino Advisory Committee in March 2008; the committee, |
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1 | composed of statewide advocates on Latino educational issues, | ||||||
2 | members of community colleges, and representatives from | ||||||
3 | partner agencies, have helped inform the Illinois community | ||||||
4 | college system on student needs, the best educational | ||||||
5 | practices, and legislation that affects the Latino student | ||||||
6 | population; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Prior to coming to the Illinois Community College | ||||||
8 | Board, Geoffrey Obrzut was the director of the Illinois | ||||||
9 | Department of Human Services, Division of Developmental | ||||||
10 | Disabilities; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Geoffrey Obrzut received his bachelor's degree | ||||||
12 | from the University of Illinois at Springfield in Political | ||||||
13 | Science and graduated from Triton College in River Grove; he | ||||||
14 | graduated from West Leyden High School in 1970; while at West | ||||||
15 | Leyden High School and Triton College he was active in the | ||||||
16 | environmental movement, founding a group called SOAP (Students | ||||||
17 | Organized Against Pollution); he played competitive sports, | ||||||
18 | serving as captain of his high school and college basketball | ||||||
19 | teams; and | ||||||
20 | WHEREAS, The ICCB is the State coordinating board for the | ||||||
21 | community colleges in Illinois; the State is home to 48 | ||||||
22 | community colleges in 39 districts and has the third largest | ||||||
23 | community college system enrollment in the nation; under his |
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1 | leadership, the ICCB has undertaken a Homeland Security and | ||||||
2 | Campus Safety Initiative, advocated for additional resources | ||||||
3 | for adult education and family literacy, and completed | ||||||
4 | comprehensive reports on textbook costs, baccalaureate degree | ||||||
5 | access, and funding of Illinois Veterans and National Guard | ||||||
6 | Grants; and | ||||||
7 | WHEREAS, Geoffrey Obrzut's retirement will become official | ||||||
8 | on June 30, 2013; he was first appointed by the board as | ||||||
9 | president and CEO in January of 2004; therefore, be it
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10 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
11 | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
12 | we congratulate Illinois Community College Board President and | ||||||
13 | Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Obrzut on his retirement and | ||||||
14 | we wish him well in all his future endeavours; and be it | ||||||
15 | further
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16 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
17 | presented to Geoffrey Obrzut as an expression of our esteem and | ||||||
18 | respect.
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