HR0999 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0999 LRB095 19093 GRL 46139 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate William D. "Bill" Gainer on the occasion of his retirement from AT&T Illinois after more than 47 years of service; and

WHEREAS, William D. "Bill" Gainer began his long and distinguished career in 1960, when he joined Illinois Bell Telephone as a lineman; and

WHEREAS, During William D. "Bill" Gainer's career, Illinois Bell became Ameritech, which became SBC and, now, AT&T; and

WHEREAS, Over more than four-and-a-half decades of service, William D. "Bill" Gainer has exhibited the integrity, diligence, intelligence, strength, and commitment that have made him an outstanding example of leadership in his profession; and

WHEREAS, William D. "Bill" Gainer worked his way up through the ranks in various positions in Construction, Operations, Installation and Repair, Marketing, Network Coordination and Planning, Business Relations, and Inter-Company Coordination; and

WHEREAS, William D. "Bill" Gainer's vast knowledge and experience of the company became invaluable as he served as Director of Government Relations, representing the company to the Chicago City Council and the Cook County Board; and

WHEREAS, As Director of Government Relations, William D. "Bill" Gainer played an influential role in overseeing many of the biggest events in Chicago that required coordination with the telephone company, including the 1994 World Cup and the 1996 Democratic National Convention; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his highly successful career in the telecommunications industry, William D. "Bill" Gainer enjoys a distinguished resume of public service and charitable organizational work; and

WHEREAS, William D. "Bill" Gainer is the Chair of the Business Development Committee for the Cook County Irish Trade Mission to County Down and County Cork and has worked closely with the Cook County Economic Development Project Director and the Cook County Assessor on many of the County Trade Mission initiatives; and

WHEREAS, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley appointed William D. "Bill" Gainer to be the Chair of the Chicago Sister Cities International Program-Galway Committee in 2001; and

WHEREAS, William D. "Bill" Gainer serves on the board of directors for Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, the Veterans Leadership Program, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Convention and Tourism Bureau, and the Irish American Alliance; and

WHEREAS, William D. "Bill" Gainer is on the Advisory Board for Misericordia Heart of Mercy and the Executive Board of the South Side Irish Parade Committee; and

WHEREAS, William D. "Bill" Gainer and his wife, Gerri, are the proud parents of six children, Bridget, Nora, Maureen, Mary, Sheila, and Billy, and grandparents to four grandchildren, Finbar, Lilly, Noreen, and Mary; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate William D. "Bill" Gainer on the occasion of his retirement and extend to this exemplary citizen our very best wishes for continued good health, success, and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to William D. "Bill" Gainer.