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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to
3congratulate John F. Penn on his retirement and commend him
4for his decades of service to the members of LiUNA!, his
5community, and his country; and
 
6    WHEREAS, John Penn joined Local 362 of the Laborers'
7International Union of North America (LiUNA!) in 1965 at the
8age of 16; and
 
9    WHEREAS, John Penn rose through the ranks of his union,
10serving Laborers as secretary-treasurer and business manager
11of LiUNA! Local 362 in McLean County; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Under John Penn's leadership, LiUNA! Local 362
13grew significantly, giving a voice to scores of workers who
14previously had never benefited from union representation; and
 
15    WHEREAS, In response to several tragic accidents, John
16Penn stopped all highway construction in McLean County to
17force the State of Illinois to improve protections for
18vulnerable workers on the State's roadways, an effort that
19culminated in the creation of the State's Work Zone Safety
20Committee and implementation of numerous policies and actions
21that saved countless lives; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, John Penn's role in representing LiUNA! members
2continually expanded, becoming business manager of the
336-county North Central Illinois Laborers' District Council,
4business manager of the four-state Great Plains Laborers'
5District Council, and, ultimately, vice president and regional
6manager of LiUNA!'s 10-state Midwest Region and a member of
7the international union's General Executive Board; and
 
8    WHEREAS, John Penn was a tireless advocate for his members
9during his 49 years of service, typically beginning his work
10several hours before the sun would rise; and
 
11    WHEREAS, In addition to John Penn's commitment to his
12members, he managed to volunteer his time, talents, and
13organizing skills to numerous projects and programs that
14improved not only the greater Bloomington-Normal area but all
15of Illinois, including the United Way of McLean County, the
16Children's Christmas Party for Unemployed Families, and the
17McLean County Promise Council; and
 
18    WHEREAS, John Penn has been a member of the Special
19Olympics Illinois Board of Directors and has recruited dozens
20of LiUNA! Local 362 members to volunteer at the Special
21Olympics State Games every year for more than 40 years; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, John Penn is a proud veteran of the United States
2Air Force having served in South Korea, Vietnam, and Guam; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The issues faced by veterans of all branches of
4our nation's armed forces have long been a concern of John Penn
5and prompted him to establish the Midwest Region Veterans'
6Committee and encourage all LiUNA! local unions to create
7veterans' committees of their own; and
 
8    WHEREAS, John Penn was a 2022 inductee to the Illinois
9Labor History Society's Union Hall of Honor, was honored by
10the Bloomington Pantagraph as its 2003 Person of the Year, and
11received a Thousand Points of Light Foundation award from
12President Bill Clinton in 1997 on behalf of his volunteer
13efforts and those of all Bloomington-Normal building
14tradespeople; and
 
15    WHEREAS, John Penn has been a devoted husband of 55 years
16to his wife, Mary, a loving father to their daughter, Shawn,
17and doting grandfather of three and great-grandfather of five;
18therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
20ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate John
21F. Penn on his retirement and commend him for his decades of
22service to the members of LiUNA!, his community, and his

 

 

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1country; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3presented to John Penn as a symbol of our esteem and respect.