HR0417 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0417 LRB094 12219 CSA 45792 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Waldon O. Degner, who served on the board of commissioners of the Palatine Park District from 1969 to 2005, has recently retired; while a commissioner, he served several terms as the board's president, vice-president, and treasurer; and

WHEREAS, During his tenure on the Palatine Park Board, park properties increased from 170 acres to 665 acres, recreation programs expanded from 40 to 1,200, and the annual budget grew from $500,000 to $14 million; among his many accomplishments, he was instrumental in the acquisition of property for, and the $250,000 renovation of, the George Clayson House Museum, and he negotiated the acquisition by the Park District and the Village of Palatine of the former Palatine High School, which is now the Palatine Community Center and the site of Cutting Hall; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Degner served on the board of the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) from 1977 to 1983, was vice-president from 1976 to 1978, served on several committees, and was a speaker on numerous state conference and national congress educational session panels; he received the Allen A. Weissburg Award for his long-term service to Palatine and to the Illinois Association of Park Districts; he was instrumentally involved in hiring two IAPD executive directors, helped guide the IAPD through tumultuous times of change, and was one of the principal authors of the Memorandum of Understanding which led to the effective cooperation on several fronts between IAPD and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association; and

WHEREAS, He was raised in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1954; he actively served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1954 to 1956 and attended the University of Wisconsin from 1956 to 1961; he was a career employee as a revenue officer with the Internal Revenue Service; and

WHEREAS, He and his wife, Janet, have three children, Carl, Curt, and Amy, and six grandchildren; he was a volunteer leader with Boy Scouts of America Troop 69; he also served on the Board of Trustees and as Treasurer of St. Paul United Church of Christ from 1977 to 1981; and

WHEREAS, His enthusiasm for his commissioner's role, his example to other commissioners, his support of staff, and his loyalty to the residents of Palatine Park District have been extremely positive and demonstrated excellent community service and leadership skills; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we offer our sincere appreciation to Waldon O. Degner for his many years of exemplary service to the Palatine Park District and wish him well in his retirement and his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Waldon O. Degner as an expression of our admiration and esteem.