HR0529 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0529 LRB099 12572 MST 36108 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulates Joe M. Kanosky, Ph.D. on the occasion of his retirement as President of Highland Community College on June 30, 2015; and

WHEREAS, Joe Kanosky's tenure began in June of 2006 after serving as Acting President upon the departure of Dr. Ronald Field in late 2005; he joined Highland Community College in 1981 and has held a variety of positions in the areas of student services, instructional program administration, community service, and economic development; he has been a Director, an Associate Dean, and a Dean; he served as Vice-President for Student and Community Services from 2000 to 2003 and as Vice-President for Institutional and Community Development from 2003 until November of 2005; and

WHEREAS, Joe Kanosky has had several lasting accomplishments, most notably, the construction of 2 state-of-the-art training facilities: the Ray and Betty Stamm Health Science Nursing Wing and the Wind Turbine Technician Training Center; he oversaw the college's successful transition to the Academic Quality Improvement program model of accreditation and 2 Illinois Community College Board recognition evaluations, maintaining the college's continued high recognition status; in 2012, the college received approval from the Higher Learning Commission to offer its Associate of Arts degree completely through online coursework; during his tenure, a number of new academic programs were initiated, including Medical Assistant, Emergency Medical Technician, Industrial Training, and Wind Turbine Technician degrees, as well as Customer Service and Professional Tax Preparer certificates; and

WHEREAS, Joe Kanosky has been active in civic and professional organizations for many years; he served on the Freeport School District 145 Board of Education for nearly 8 years, 2 years as its President; he also holds a position on 2 Workforce Investment Boards, which serve northwestern Illinois, and is a member of the board of the Tri-County Economic Development Alliance; he also serves on the boards of the Boys and Girls Club and State Bank of Freeport and is a member of the Freeport Noon Rotary; his past service includes being on the board of directors of the Freeport Area Chamber of Commerce and the Northwest Illinois Development Alliance; he is a member of the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents and currently co-chairs its Leadership and Core Values Committee, a position he has held for several years; he has also presented at the Illinois Council of Community College Administrators conference on several occasions, sharing his expertise on leadership and core values; and

WHEREAS, Joe Kanosky earned his bachelor's degree in English from Western Illinois University in 1971; from 1973 to 1978, he was a high school English teacher and football and track coach in the Galesburg area; from 1978 to 1981, he was a full-time graduate student at Illinois State University (ISU) in Normal; at ISU he earned both his M.S.Ed. and Ph.D. degrees in Educational Administration and Foundations; and

WHEREAS, Joe Kanosky and his wife, Jennifer, have been in Freeport since the fall of 1981; they have 2 grown children, Andrew and Alison; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Joe M. Kanosky, Ph.D. on his retirement as President of Highland Community College and we wish him the best in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Joe Kanosky as an expression of our esteem and respect.