HR0037 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0037 LRB101 04622 MST 49630 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Dr. John Avendano on the occasion of his retirement as president of Kankakee Community College; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Avendano became Kankakee Community College's sixth president on July 1, 2009; during his time at Kankakee Community College, he led the college through a two-year state budget impasse, added new academic programs, successfully implemented two strategic plans, and opened campus facilities; Kankakee Community College also celebrated two national championships and the college's 50th anniversary during his tenure; and

WHEREAS, During the state budget impasse, Dr. Avendano fought for Monetary Assistance Program (MAP) funding for students and appropriations for community colleges, representing Kankakee Community College and Illinois Community Colleges in conversations with State legislators; on campus, his leadership enabled the redesign of foundational coursework, the strengthening of collaborations with area school districts, the business community, and local industry, and the creation of new programs, including Millwright and Manufacturing Technology and an apprenticeship program that created paths to employment; and

WHEREAS, Under the guidance of Dr. Avendano, the college expanded its community access and established the Miner South Extension Center in Watseka and the Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Center in Kankakee; in 2014, Kankakee Community College's North Extension Center in Bradley opened and became Kankakee County's first LEED Gold Certified building; the Advanced Technology Education Center on the Riverfront Campus, which is currently under construction, is also designed to meet LEED Gold Standards; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Avendano serves on boards for state and community organizations, including the Illinois Community College Council of Presidents, the Grundy Livingston Kankakee Workforce Board, the Riverside Medical Center Board of Directors, and the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County, where he served as chairman of the board for the past two years; he was named one of Waubonsee Community College's Fab 40 Alumni, inducted into the Waubonsee Community College Athletic Hall of Fame, inducted into the Illinois State University College of Education Hall of Fame, and inducted into the Skyway Conference Hall of Fame; he received the Phi Theta Kappa Shirley B. Gordon Award for Distinction and the Illinois Community College Trustees Association Advocacy Award; and

WHEREAS, As a former community college baseball player and coach, Dr. Avendano is proud of the Kankakee Community College Cavaliers and their accomplishments at the regional and national levels; the Cavaliers baseball and softball teams both won national titles in 2017 and 2015 respectively, and in the past nine years, Kankakee Community College's athletic teams have won 22 regional titles and recognized 30 All-Americans and 44 Academic All-Americans; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Dr. John Avendano on the occasion of his retirement, and we recognize his commitment to the community and to the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Avendano as an expression of our esteem and respect.