HR0430 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0430 LRB099 12088 MST 34864 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Mayor Thomas Giarrante is a lifelong resident of the City of Joliet and has served his hometown for over 4 decades; during this time, he has earned the admiration and respect of Joliet's residents, fellow City Council members, and City Hall staff; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Giarrante attended Sacred Heart Grade School, Joliet Catholic High School, and Joliet Junior College; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Giarrante's outstanding record of community service began with a 22-year career with the Joliet Fire Department, including 16 years serving as President of Joliet Firefighters Local 44 and 2 years as Secretary of the Police and Fire Board; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Giarrante's decades of service as an elected official includes 6 years as a Joliet Park District Board Commissioner, 3 years as President of the Park Board, 14 years as an elected Joliet City Councilman-At-Large, where he served as Chairman of the Joliet Waterpark Committee, Chairman of the Baseball Committee, past Chairman of the Public Safety Committee, past member of the Public Service Committee, and past member of the Joliet Township Senior Citizen Services Committee; and

WHEREAS, During his term as a Joliet City Councilman-At-Large, Thomas Giarrante was directly involved in attracting new businesses and improving the quality of life of his hometown with a significant number of development projects such as Joliet's 2 world-class casinos, Chicagoland Speedway, the CenterPoint Intermodal Center, Route 66 Raceway, Autobahn Country Club, the Joliet Area Historical Museum, the west side branch of the Joliet Public Library, Splash Station Water Park, and Silver Cross Field; and

WHEREAS, In 2011, Thomas Giarrante was elected Mayor of the City of Joliet; immediately upon taking office, he established the Committee to Attract and Retain Business (CARB), a committee comprised of 18 local professional and business people to assist in maintaining his vision of a strong "pro-business" atmosphere; his office door was always open as he constantly met with local leaders, members of the business community, and everyday citizens who simply needed his help; his leadership through difficult economic times restored Joliet's financial well being, brought new jobs and retail developments throughout the City, and positioned Joliet as one of the most business-friendly communities in the Midwest; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Giarrante's love of Joliet is only superseded by his love and devotion to his family; he has been married to Rosemary Giarrante for 53 years; together, they have 3 children, 8 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren, who will now be the recipient of his affection, time, and attention; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank Mayor Thomas Giarrante for his leadership and dedicated service and wish him success and happiness in the future; and be it further

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