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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Mattoon Chamber of Commerce has selected Lake
3 Land College President Robert K. Luther as its 2005 Citizen of
4 the Year; the Chamber and the community recognized Dr. Luther
5 as a contributor to the betterment of life in Mattoon; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Dr. Robert K. Luther was born and raised in
7 Charleston and moved back to Coles County to become Lake Land
8 College's fourth president; he plans to retire at the end of
9 the 2005-06 academic year; and
 
10     WHEREAS, He previously served as President of
11 Columbia-Greene Community College in New York and Acting
12 President and Vice President of Carl Sandburg College in
13 Galesburg; he received his Ph.D. from the University of
14 Michigan and his bachelor's and master's degrees from Eastern
15 Illinois University; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Dr. Luther's tenacious leadership and devotion to
17 the community college mission has made Lake Land College a
18 pacesetter throughout the state and nation; under his guidance,
19 Lake Land College has become one of the fastest growing
20 community colleges in Illinois and the nation; in 2005, Lake
21 Land was named among the top 20 (17th) fastest growing two-year
22 public colleges in the nation by Community College Week; and
 
23     WHEREAS, More than 10,400 students were enrolled by the end
24 of the spring semester in 2003; nearly 39 percent of the 2004
25 graduating class from Mattoon High School was enrolled last
26 fall, making it the largest number of students from any area
27 high school attending Lake Land; and
 
28     WHEREAS, Under his leadership, Lake Land College has
29 emerged as a leader among Illinois Community Colleges in work
30 force development by providing its students with the education

 

 

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1 and skills needed for jobs of the future; most local business
2 leaders will agree that one of the main assets of operating in
3 Mattoon is Lake Land College; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Dr. Luther has worked hard to ensure that the
5 College continues to be an asset and that the College's
6 programs and services, including the College's Center for
7 Business and Industry, Project PAL, and others benefit business
8 and industry; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Dr. Luther has received numerous awards and has
10 served on many boards, including Coles Together, East Central
11 Illinois Development Corporation, and the Coles County 708
12 Board; he is a past member of the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health
13 Center Board of Directors and co-chaired the Coles County
14 Strategic Planning Committee; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Due to Dr. Luther's leadership and sense of
16 community, Mattoon and Lake Land College are much better
17 places; he is one of Mattoon's biggest assets; therefore, be it
 
18     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
20 we congratulate Dr. Robert K. Luther on his selection as
21 Mattoon's 2005 Citizen of the Year and commend him for his
22 dedication to Lake Land College and the community; and be it
23 further
 
24     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
25 presented to Dr. Robert K. Luther as an expression of our
26 utmost admiration and esteem.