SR0068 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0068 LRB103 27433 ECR 53805 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to congratulate Sergeant Shawn Curry of the Peoria Police Department for completing his term as chair of the Illinois Police Officers' Pension Investment Fund (IPOPIF); and

WHEREAS, Sgt. Curry was appointed by Governor JB Pritzker to serve on the IPOPIF Transitional Board for one year in 2019, which he was then selected to lead as chair; he was overwhelmingly elected to full term in 2021, serving as chair of the IPOPIF Board until 2023; and

WHEREAS, Through IPOPIF, Sgt. Curry was placed in charge of creating an investment fund that would have a value of over nine billion dollars in assets and overseeing a consolidation of 357 local pension funds, which was the largest consolidation of its kind in the nation; and

WHEREAS, Sgt. Curry worked with municipal leaders, state officials, union leaders, and pension board trustees to ensure the process was done with transparency, integrity, and free from special interests; and

WHEREAS, Sgt. Curry oversaw the drafting of policies and procedures and the hiring of executives, a legal team, subject matter experts, and fund executives; and

WHEREAS, Most importantly, Sgt. Curry worked with all parties to create and oversee the first IPOPIF Board of Trustees' election that encompassed the entire State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Sgt. Curry often met with union leaders, legislators, the governor's office, and police officers, providing regular progress updates while outlining the future direction of IPOPIF; he spent countless hours traveling the State to meet with pension trustees to garner their trust and answer any questions or concerns; and

WHEREAS, Sgt. Curry dedicated countless hours to the pension fund while working as a third shift beat cop during the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest; and

WHEREAS, At the end of his tenure as chair, Sgt. Curry successfully completed the nation's largest consolidation of local pension funds; and

WHEREAS, Sgt. Curry has a history of dedication and service; he started his career at the Woodford County Sheriff's Office, where he was named Deputy of the Year in 2003; and

WHEREAS, While serving the City of Peoria, Sgt. Curry has earned several letters of commendation, six Distinguished Service Awards, a Meritorious Service Award in 2018, and the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Valor Award; he was also named the Police Officer of the Year in 2010 and the Illinois Public Pension Fund Association's Person of the Year in 2019; and

WHEREAS, For over the past decade, Sgt. Curry has lobbied for both victims of crime and for those who pursue justice in Springfield and Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, Sgt. Curry's most notable accomplishment has been creating and passing the Illinois First Responders Suicide Prevention Act in 2019; he and his wife, Dr. Michelle Lilly, have trained over 1,000 first responders in mental health awareness and suicide prevention; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Sergeant Shawn Curry for successfully completing his term as chair of the Illinois Police Officers' Pension Investment Fund (IPOPIF), and we thank him for his continued service to the City of Peoria and the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Sgt. Curry as a symbol of our esteem and respect.