HR1581 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1581 LRB096 24717 KXB 44733 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Bourbonnais Chief of Police Joseph Beard on his retirement, December 31, 2010; and

WHEREAS, Chief Joseph "Joe" Beard was hired as Chief of Police in 1979 and has served under five mayors; his accomplishments over 31 years include watching Bourbonnais grow from a population of 8,000 to over 18,000, keeping the Department updated with the latest technology, overseeing the construction of a new police facility, and obtaining his CPA license; and

WHEREAS, Chief Beard has been associated with the Rotary Club, the Hundred Club, the Eastern Illinois Administrators Association, the Tri-River Police Training Region Board, and the Victim Assistance Center; Chief Beard was instrumental in working with the Chicago Bears and Olivet Nazarene University to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands of visitors to Bourbonnais; and

WHEREAS, Chief Beard played a key role in the 1999 Amtrak Crash in Bourbonnais; Chief Beard, along with Sheriff Tim Bukowski and Fire Chief Michael Harshbarger, established a unified command post that remained in operation for over 24 hours; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Beard is married to Sheila; he is the proud father of Christopher, Sam, Allison, Adam, and the late Nathan; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Chief Beard on his retirement and wish him the best in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Chief Joseph Beard as a symbol of our respect and esteem.