Full Text of SR0565 103rd General Assembly
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION | 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to | 3 | | congratulate Ron Melka on the occasion of his retirement as | 4 | | the executive director of the Lyons Township Mental Health | 5 | | Commission (LTMHC); and | 6 | | WHEREAS, Ron Melka began his career as an emergency room | 7 | | worker in a hospital trauma center and then served as a | 8 | | court-appointed youth advocate coordinator; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, Ron Melka has provided leadership in advancing | 10 | | the community-based behavioral health system as the executive | 11 | | director of the LTMHC since 2013, representing the LTMHC to | 12 | | many community groups and initiatives, at both the local and | 13 | | State level; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, Ron Melka formed, supported, and now chairs the | 15 | | Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Lyons Township, where he has | 16 | | written and received a 10-year, $1.2 million Federal Drug Free | 17 | | Coalition Grant to provide prevention programs for area youth; | 18 | | and | 19 | | WHEREAS, Ron Melka has also led several nonprofit | 20 | | organizations over his career; he served as a grant writer at | 21 | | Aunt Martha's Youth Services and Healthcare, one of the |
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| 1 | | State's largest service providers; he served as president/CEO | 2 | | of United Way of Illinois, working in partnership with | 3 | | government and communities addressing issues impacting human | 4 | | services, and as the CEO of Youth in Crisis in Berwyn, serving | 5 | | youth who are at risk of child abuse, neglect, and running away | 6 | | or who are in trouble at home, in school, or in the community; | 7 | | and | 8 | | WHEREAS, Ron Melka has tirelessly chaired and served over | 9 | | the years on many statewide boards and commissions, including | 10 | | the Illinois Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) | 11 | | Emergency Food and Shelter State Set Aside Board, the Illinois | 12 | | Governor's Human Service Task force, the Governor's Keep Warm | 13 | | Illinois Energy Assistance Council, the United Way of America | 14 | | Council of States, the Development Committee for the Illinois | 15 | | Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council of the Illinois | 16 | | Department of Human Services, and others; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, Ron Melka has trained over 300 police and fire | 18 | | personnel in mental health first aid as a certified mental | 19 | | health first aid trainer; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, Ron Melka has served as an adjunct professor in | 21 | | the Illinois Institute of Technology Graduate Program of | 22 | | Public Administration, specializing in ethics, nonprofit | 23 | | management, performance measurement, and resource development; |
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| 1 | | and | 2 | | WHEREAS, Ron Melka has been an active member and leader of | 3 | | the Association of Community Mental Health Authorities of | 4 | | Illinois (ACMHAI), dutifully serving as its president from | 5 | | 2020 to 2022; and | 6 | | WHEREAS, Ron Melka brought his expertise and passion for | 7 | | helping others to the membership of ACMHAI as an ongoing | 8 | | contributor, strong advocate, and skilled spokesperson on | 9 | | behavioral health, substance use, and | 10 | | intellectual/developmental disabilities; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, Ron Melka demonstrated a keen awareness of the | 12 | | legislative process and consistently advanced the | 13 | | community-based behavioral health system in Illinois while | 14 | | serving chair of the ACMHAI Medicaid and Managed Care | 15 | | Committee from 2015 to 2020; therefore, be it | 16 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | 17 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Ron | 18 | | Melka on his retirement, express our heartfelt gratitude for | 19 | | his exceptional service, leadership, and contributions to | 20 | | behavioral health, and wish him a joyful and fulfilling | 21 | | retirement, knowing his impact will be felt for years to come; | 22 | | and be it further |
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 2 | | presented to Ron Melka as an expression of our esteem and | 3 | | respect. |
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