HR1106 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1106 LRB095 20562 GRL 48557 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Bob Carlock on the occasion of his retirement from Rend Lake College on January 31, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Bob Carlock began working at Rend Lake College in May of 1986; and

WHEREAS, Bob Carlock was instrumental in the creation of many beneficial programs for Rend Lake College; he was instrumental in the establishment of a $5 million insurance reserve fund for Rend Lake College, which enabled the college to have available insurance coverage in the event of any liability on the campus; the fund also provides interest of $150,000 per year for tort liability purposes, which enabled Rend Lake College to spend $1.3 million for the addition and renovation of the Administration Building on Rend Lake College's main campus in Ina; he was one of very few individuals that helped found an insurance consortium in which, with some umbrella policies, community colleges can collect premiums and insure themselves for health coverage, helping the college save a great amount of money on insurance costs; and

WHEREAS, Bob Carlock successfully lobbied to obtain funding for a new north road on the Rend Lake College campus, routing traffic around the campus rather than through the campus, which eliminated a very hazardous condition; and

WHEREAS, Bob Carlock pioneered the Rend Lake College's textbook rental program, one of a few in the State of Illinois; the rental program has made books available to the college's students for a greatly reduced price, combining with the college's low tuition rate to make Rend Lake College one of the most affordable community colleges in the State; and

WHEREAS, Bob Carlock was responsible for Rend Lake College's marketing plan; under his leadership, the college has grown for five out of the last six years and has set record enrollment during those five years; due to his accomplishments, the college was recognized in Community College Week as the fastest growing college of its size in the nation from the fall of 2004 to the spring of 2005; and

WHEREAS, Bob Carlock was largely responsible for the renovation of the Rend Lake College MarketPlace in Mt. Vernon; once a declining outlet mall, the Rend Lake College MarketPlace is now a thriving community, housing retail stores, state agencies, educational space for Rend Lake College, and space for four year universities; Mr. Carlock was responsible for the purchase of the MarketPlace and is single-handedly responsible for encouraging existing retail businesses to stay and the enticement of new businesses to move in; he was also responsible for the buyout and operation of a golf store that had operated in the MarketPlace previously and the creation of a coffee shop along with an internet cafe to support the activities of the mall; the college now collects hundreds of thousands of dollars of rent from retail stores and State agencies due to Mr. Carlock's forward thinking and fiscal insight; and

WHEREAS, The faculty, staff, and students of Rend Lake College, as well as the citizens of this State, owe Bob Carlock a debt of gratitude for the services that he has rendered to Rend Lake College and the State at large; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Bob Carlock on the occasion of his retirement and wish him many happy and healthy retirement years; and be it further

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