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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate Dr. John Avendano on the
4occasion of his retirement as president of Kankakee Community
5College; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Dr. Avendano became Kankakee Community College's
7sixth president on July 1, 2009; during his time at Kankakee
8Community College, he led the college through a two-year state
9budget impasse, added new academic programs, successfully
10implemented two strategic plans, and opened campus facilities;
11Kankakee Community College also celebrated two national
12championships and the college's 50th anniversary during his
13tenure; and
 
14    WHEREAS, During the state budget impasse, Dr. Avendano
15fought for Monetary Assistance Program (MAP) funding for
16students and appropriations for community colleges,
17representing Kankakee Community College and Illinois Community
18Colleges in conversations with State legislators; on campus,
19his leadership enabled the redesign of foundational
20coursework, the strengthening of collaborations with area
21school districts, the business community, and local industry,
22and the creation of new programs, including Millwright and
23Manufacturing Technology and an apprenticeship program that

 

 

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1created paths to employment; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Under the guidance of Dr. Avendano, the college
3expanded its community access and established the Miner South
4Extension Center in Watseka and the Manufacturing and
5Industrial Technology Center in Kankakee; in 2014, Kankakee
6Community College's North Extension Center in Bradley opened
7and became Kankakee County's first LEED Gold Certified
8building; the Advanced Technology Education Center on the
9Riverfront Campus, which is currently under construction, is
10also designed to meet LEED Gold Standards; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Dr. Avendano serves on boards for state and
12community organizations, including the Illinois Community
13College Council of Presidents, the Grundy Livingston Kankakee
14Workforce Board, the Riverside Medical Center Board of
15Directors, and the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County, where
16he served as chairman of the board for the past two years; he
17was named one of Waubonsee Community College's Fab 40 Alumni,
18inducted into the Waubonsee Community College Athletic Hall of
19Fame, inducted into the Illinois State University College of
20Education Hall of Fame, and inducted into the Skyway Conference
21Hall of Fame; he received the Phi Theta Kappa Shirley B. Gordon
22Award for Distinction and the Illinois Community College
23Trustees Association Advocacy Award; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, As a former community college baseball player and
2coach, Dr. Avendano is proud of the Kankakee Community College
3Cavaliers and their accomplishments at the regional and
4national levels; the Cavaliers baseball and softball teams both
5won national titles in 2017 and 2015 respectively, and in the
6past nine years, Kankakee Community College's athletic teams
7have won 22 regional titles and recognized 30 All-Americans and
844 Academic All-Americans; therefore, be it
 
9    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
10HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
11we congratulate Dr. John Avendano on the occasion of his
12retirement, and we recognize his commitment to the community
13and to the State of Illinois; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15presented to Dr. Avendano as an expression of our esteem and
16respect.