HR0407 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0407 LRB096 12863 GRL 26649 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Eric T. Ruud on the occasion of his retirement as First Assistant State's Attorney in the McLean County State's Attorneys Office in Bloomington; and

WHEREAS, Eric Ruud received his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Illinois State University in 1975; he then performed post-graduate work in Public Administration at ISU in 1976; he received his Juris Doctor degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law in 1980; he attended Government Civil Practice seminars conducted by the National College of District Attorneys in 1992, 1993, 1997, and 1999, as well as a comprehensive National District Attorneys Association seminar in 2005; he also attended numerous Continuing Legal Education ethics seminars; and

WHEREAS, Eric Ruud has been continuously employed as an Assistant State's Attorney in McLean County since 1981; after prosecuting traffic and misdemeanor cases from 1981 to 1983, he was promoted to the Civil Division of the office; from 1983 to 1988, he served as the sole Civil Assistant State's Attorney; in 1988, he was promoted to the position of Chief Assistant State's Attorney, where he supervised one attorney and one part-time secretary; in 2004, he was promoted to the position of First Assistant State's Attorney, where he remained until his retirement; and

WHEREAS, During Eric Ruud's tenure with the Civil Division of the McLean County State's Attorneys Office, he specialized in the representation of county government, emphasizing on taxation, contract negotiations, legislation, school law, zoning, and environmental law; major clients that he has represented include the McLean County Board, all McLean County elected and appointed officials, the Regional Board of School Trustees, the Regional Office of Education, the Tax Board of Review, the Regional Planning Commission, and the Emergency Telephone System Board; and

WHEREAS, Eric Ruud has provided representation in a wide variety of high profile cases and other proceedings; he represented 118 local governments in McLean County before the Circuit Court in a tax objection lawsuit filed by nearly 400 tax objectors seeking approximately $4 million in damages, a suit that resulted in the court dismissing over 99% of the objections; he represented McLean County during multiple hearings on a multimillion dollar tax assessment appeal filed by the Mitsubishi Motors manufacturing plant; he represented a Special Hearing Board convened under the authority of the Illinois School Code to conduct extensive public hearings on a proposed merger of Community Unit School District #5 and Bloomington School District #87; he also represented a tri-county Regional Board of School Trustees during numerous hearings in cases involving multiple school dissolutions, annexations, and detachments; and

WHEREAS, Eric Ruud represented the McLean County Pollution Control Site Hearing Committee during its review of and the public hearing process for three applications seeking site approval of significant landfill expansions; he represented the McLean County Board during hearings conducted pursuant to the Illinois Livestock Management Act for a proposed 3,500 head dairy facility near Bellflower; he represented the McLean County Sheriff's Office Merit Commission during several disciplinary hearings involving charges lodged against police and correctional officers; he represented or supervised the representation of the McLean County Zoning Board of Appeals in numerous special use cases, including wind farms, juvenile group homes, gravel pits, and wastewater treatment plants; he also represented McLean County in hearings before the Illinois Commerce Commission opposing the extension of a crude petroleum pipeline from Pontiac to Patoka; and

WHEREAS, Eric Ruud has taught classes on numerous subjects; he taught Legal Environment of Business and Business Law classes as an Adjunct Professor in the Insurance, Finance and Law Department at Illinois State University from January 1989 through May 1993; he was a guest lecturer for many years in Political Science and Pre-Law classes at ISU; he has been a frequent lecturer at training seminars sponsored by the Illinois Appellate Prosecutors Office and Illinois State's Attorneys Association; he has also frequently conducted on-site compliance seminars relating to the Illinois Open Meetings Act, Illinois Freedom of Information Act, and State Officials and Employees Ethics Act for numerous boards representing townships, cities, towns and villages in McLean County; and

WHEREAS, Eric Ruud is a member of numerous boards and organizations, including the Illinois State University Laboratory Schools Citizens Advisory Board, the Illinois State University Ambassador Committee for Laboratory Schools Fundraising Campaign, the Illinois State University Redbird Club, the University High School Alumni Association, and the McLean County Bar Association; he is a past member of the Noah's Ark Pre-School Board of Directors, the Illinois State University Friends of the Arts, the Town of Normal Community Relations Committee on Town/Gown Affairs, and the Town of Normal Human Relations Commission; he has also conducted several Career Day presentations at local junior high and high school classes, as well as numerous presentations on behalf of the McLean County State's Attorneys Office before numerous community service organizations, including the Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions, and Exchange Clubs; and

WHEREAS, Eric Ruud has provided pro bono legal advice to the Youth Impact Board, the Child Protection Network Board, the McLean County Crime Detection Board, the United Workforce Development Board, the Recovery Starts Today Board, the McLean County Rural Mayors Association, and the McLean County Fire Chiefs Association; and

WHEREAS, Eric Ruud has been the recipient of numerous awards for his service to his community, including the Outstanding Service Award from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools in 2007 and the Alumni Service Award from the University High School Alumni Association in 2007; and

WHEREAS, Eric Ruud and his wife, Brenda, reside in Normal with their two children, Chris and Caity; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Eric T. Ruud 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 Eric Ruud as a symbol of our esteem and respect.