HR0427 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0427 LRB096 12985 KXB 27130 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Richard "Rick" Schoell on the occasion of his retirement from the University of Illinois after 22 years of dedicated service; and

WHEREAS, Rick Schoell earned his bachelor's degree in American Government and U.S. History from the University of Iowa in May of 1975 and his master's degree in Public Administration and Public Policy Analysis from the University of Iowa in December of 1976; he was on the University of Iowa's Dean's List from 1971 to 1973; and

WHEREAS, Upon completion of his graduate studies, Rick Schoell was employed with the Household Finance Corporation for about two years; he then took a research position with the Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation in Springfield in 1979; he worked with the National Conference of State Legislatures, where he developed a sterling reputation as hard-working, reliable, and personable; and

WHEREAS, Rick Schoell began his career with the University of Illinois on August 3, 1987 as the Associate Director for Federal Relations; in 1991, the position's title was reclassified to Director for Federal Relations; on November 20, 1998, he became the Executive Director for Governmental Relations; he served in both positions until his retirement; and

WHEREAS, Rick Schoell provided outstanding leadership as an officer of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and as a trusted advisor to University presidents, especially in the areas of federal relations in that now the University of Illinois is one of the leading public institutions in terms of federal research and grant awards; in addition, under his direction the University has experienced dramatic growth in terms of state-supported construction that have brought the many University of Illinois campuses to the level they are today; and

WHEREAS, Rick Schoell has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors for his service; he was the recipient of the Commander's Award for Distinguished Public Service from the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory in 1991; he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Illinois Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation in 1987; he was also a member of the National Honor Society with Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Eta Sigma; and

WHEREAS, In 2002, Rick Schoell was nominated and voted in as a member of the Lamplighters Higher Education Roundtable; and

WHEREAS, Rick Schoell met his future wife, Rebecca, at the University of Iowa; the couple got married in Waterloo, Iowa in January of 1978; together, they have two children, Elizabeth and William, who are both Iowa Hawkeyes; and

WHEREAS, Rick Schoell will be remembered fondly by his colleagues at the University of Illinois for his great sense of fairness and his openness to all points of view; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Richard "Rick" Schoell 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 Rick Schoell as a symbol of our esteem and respect.