HR1107 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1107 LRB095 20563 GRL 48558 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Mark Lamping on the occasion of his retirement as President of the St. Louis Cardinals on April 2, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Mark Lamping earned his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri and his master's degree in business administration from Saint Louis University; and

WHEREAS, Mark Lamping served as Anheuser-Busch's group director of sports marketing for five years before being appointed president of the St. Louis Cardinals on September 1, 1994; as president, he has managed the club's business and facility operations, including the renovation of the old Busch Stadium and revitalization of the Cardinals franchise in the mid-1990s, and the development and funding of the new Busch Stadium, which opened in April of 2006; and

WHEREAS, Mark Lamping led the St. Louis Cardinals during the club's 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2005 Central Division titles, their 2004 National League Championship, and the team's 10th World Championship in 2006; under his leadership, the Cardinals were honored by the United Sports Fans of America in 1999 and in 2003 as Major League Baseball's Fan Friendly Team in honor of their superior efforts to make the ballpark experience more enjoyable for the fans; and

WHEREAS, Mark Lamping is a member of many charitable and civic organizations; his activities include board memberships with the St. Louis Sports Commission, Saint Louis University Business School, Habitat for Humanity, the St. Louis Cardinals Community Fund, and Wings of Hope, among others; he also served as the chairperson of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Golf Classic, Old Newsboys Day, St. Louis Archdiocese Catholic Charities Christmas Appeal, and Pope John Paul II's 1999 visit to St. Louis, Missouri; and

WHEREAS, Mark Lamping has been the recipient of many honors and awards in recognition of his charitable efforts; in 1998, he was honored as Man of the Year by the St. Louis chapter of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Resources and was the recipient of the James O'Flynn Award from St. Patrick's Center in recognition of his work with St. Louis' homeless; he was the recipient of the Catholic Youth Council 2000 Community Achievement Award and the 2001 Marianist Youth Medal for his support of youth in the St. Louis area; he was the recipient of the 2001 Legacy Award from Big Brothers and Big Sisters of St. Louis and the recipient of the Gateway Leadership Award from the International Leadership Network in 2006; he was also an inductee into the Vianney High School Hall of Fame and was named the 2000 Alumnus of the Year for outstanding achievement by Rockhurst University; and

WHEREAS, Mark Lamping and his wife, Cheryl, have three children, Brian, Lauren, and Timothy; and

WHEREAS, Following his retirement, Mark Lamping will now serve as CEO of the New Meadowlands Stadium Company, a joint venture between the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets to build to build a new world-class stadium for both teams and for major sports and entertainments events; he will be responsible for the overall operation of the new stadium; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Mark Lamping on the occasion of his retirement and wish him continued success and happiness in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mark Lamping as a symbol of our esteem and respect.