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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate Martin "Marty" Matthews
4on his retirement from full-time employment as Director of
5Government Affairs with Merck & Company, Inc. and to commend
6him for his unwavering commitment to improving the health of
7residents of Illinois; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Martin Matthews is a native of Pittsburg,
9Pennsylvania, where he attended Schenley High School; he
10earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology, Chemistry, and
11Psychology from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where
12he was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.; and
 
13    WHEREAS, In 1989, Martin Matthews commenced his
14professional career with Merck & Company, Inc. as a
15professional sales representative, focusing on cardiovascular,
16osteoarthritis, Parkinson's, and ophthalmic diseases and
17pharmaceuticals to treat and manage the health of the
18afflicted; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Martin Matthews was subsequently promoted to
20serve as Merck & Company's national coordinator for health
21education from 1991 to 1992, where he managed a $23 million
22dollar health education budget for cardiovascular marketing

 

 

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1teams; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Martin Matthews then transitioned to a new role
3in 1992 as sales training manager for new representatives in
4the Ohio and Seattle regions, serving an even greater
5responsibility within Merck & Company; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Martin Matthews assumed the key position of
7Director of Government Affairs for Merck & Company in 1993,
8becoming responsible for all legislative and regulatory issues
9affecting the company in the states of Illinois, Indiana,
10Iowa, and South Dakota; and
 
11    WHEREAS, From 1993 to 2023, Martin Matthews was a member
12of the Illinois PhRMA Task Force, sharing his insights with
13association members and leadership on Medicaid, Medicare, and
14health care reform legislation being considered for enactment
15by the Illinois General Assembly; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Martin Matthews also served on several
17professional bodies, including the Illinois Chamber Health
18Care Council, the Illinois Hepatitis C Task Force, the
19Illinois Diabetes Policy Coalition as legislative chairman,
20and the Illinois Diabetes Caucus Foundation Board; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Martin Matthews developed an expertise on a

 

 

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1multitude of key Merck & Company policy issues, from varicella
2and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to diabetes drug
3access; and
 
4    WHEREAS, During his service as Director of Government
5Affairs for Merck & Company, Martin Matthews has received
6numerous professional corporate recognitions, including the
7Masters Club Distinguished Service Award in 1998, the Vice
8President's Distinguished Service Award in 2002, the Merck
9Special Achievement Award in both 2001 and 2002, the Merck
10Masters Club Award in 2008, 2011, and 2013, and installation
11in the Hall of Fame, as well as numerous Awards of Excellence
12from Merck Sales, the Vaccine Division, and the Merck Schering
13Plough Joint Venture; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Throughout his tenure, Martin Matthews has worked
15in a bipartisan manner to advocate for the passage of over 200
16pieces of legislation designed to improve healthcare and
17access to affordable drugs and vaccines for Illinoisans; his
18greatest legislative accomplishment occurred in 2002, when he
19provided testimony and guidance to Illinois lawmakers and the
20State Board of Public Health on treatment options for the
21eradication of chicken pox, also known as the varicella-zoster
22virus, among Illinois school children, leading to the
23implementation of a groundbreaking law; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Martin Matthews is the longest tenured Director
2of Government Affairs for Merck & Company in Illinois history,
3with a career spanning 30-plus years of service; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Martin Matthews is the husband of Timoli, the son
5of Lela Matthews, and the father of Aja, Lela, and Mariah; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In retirement, Martin Matthews looks forward to
7spending more time with his family and to perfecting his golf
8game and grilling skills with friends and colleagues;
9therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
11HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
12we congratulate Martin "Marty" Matthews on his retirement from
13full-time employment as Director of Government Relations at
14Merck & Company, and we commend him on his many years of
15service on behalf of patients in the State of Illinois and
16beyond; and be it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
18presented Martin Matthews as a symbol of our esteem and
19respect.