HR1202 LRB094 20282 HSS 58285 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Zelema Harris has announced her retirement as
3 President of Parkland College, effective June 20, 2006; and
 
4     WHEREAS, She has served as the college's president since
5 July 1990; and
 
6     WHEREAS, She was previously president of Pioneer Community
7 College in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1980 to 1987 and was
8 president of Penn Valley Community College from 1987 to 1990;
9 and
 
10     WHEREAS, President Harris worked to attract and retain many
11 quality faculty, staff, and administrators during her tenure in
12 order to fulfill the mission of Parkland College; and
 
13     WHEREAS, With her 26 years of experience as a chief
14 administrator in various college campuses, she has earned a
15 reputation for leadership, innovation, strategic planning,
16 diversity education, organizational transformation, and
17 embracing teaching and learning; and
 
18     WHEREAS, President Harris faced financially difficult
19 times in her tenure at Parkland College and actively worked
20 with the community to avoid cuts in valuable staff and
21 programs; and
 
22     WHEREAS, Under President Harris' tenure, Parkland College
23 has achieved the status of being one of the top two providers
24 of online learning in Illinois; she has received national and
25 state awards for college planning, developed vital
26 relationships with area businesses and industries, established
27 the award-winning Center for Excellence in Teaching and
28 Learning to enhance faculty development, and designed a
29 leadership development program for Parkland that has gained

 

 

HR1202 - 2 - LRB094 20282 HSS 58285 r

1 national attention; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Further Parkland College accomplishments during
3 her term of service include establishment of the Parkland
4 Business Development Center to serve short-term training needs
5 of businesses; a $1.5 million Child Development Center to serve
6 students, faculty, staff, and community members with young
7 families; an Agriculture Technology Applications Center to
8 meet the high-tech needs of farmers and agribusinesses as well
9 as a state-of-the-art greenhouse expansion; and a $15 million
10 new Academic & Instructional Services wing to provide
11 additional classrooms and computer laboratory space for
12 students and faculty; and
 
13     WHEREAS, President Harris also collaborated with local
14 service providers to create Illinois' first One-Stop Center to
15 better serve underemployed and unemployed district residents;
16 therefore, be it
 
17     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
18 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
19 we congratulate Parkland College President Zelema Harris on her
20 outstanding contribution to Parkland College and the
21 surrounding community and wish her well upon her retirement;
22 and be it further
 
23     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
24 presented to Parkland College President Zelema Harris as a sign
25 of our respect, esteem, and admiration for an exemplary career
26 of service and with our best wishes for future successes.