HR0815 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0815 LRB096 16441 GRL 31709 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Louis Mervis on the occasion of his retirement from the Provena United Samaritans Medical Center Board of Trustees after 6 years of distinguished service; and

WHEREAS, Louis Mervis graduated from Danville High School with the Class of 1952; in 1956, he graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor's degree in business; and

WHEREAS, Louis Mervis serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of Mervis Industries, a corporation made up of 17 divisions and 11 affiliated companies in the United States and Mexico; and

WHEREAS, Louis Mervis has been an active member of numerous civic and charitable organizations; in 1977, he served as general chairman of the Danville area United Way campaign; he is a past member of the Illinois Human Relations Commission; he is a former chairman of the Illinois Board of the Anti-Defamation League; he served as Director of the Danville Chamber of Commerce; he was a three-term president of Congregation Israel; he served on the Board of Directors of the Danville Little League organization; he was a member of the Schlarman Foundation and the Greater Danville Development Corporation; he was a founding member and past chairman of the Danville Area Economic Development Corporation and was active with the Gifted Children's Program of Vermilion County; he was a member of the Palmer National Bank Board of Directors and the Old National Bancorp Board of Directors; he was also a former president of the Chicago Chapter of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries; and

WHEREAS, Louis Mervis has been active in State and local government; he was a member of Governor Jim Thompson's final-term transition team and Governor Jim Edgar's first-term transition team; he was a member of the District 118 Board of Education for 6 years, serving as president for 3 of those years; he was a past chairman of the DHS Advisory Council; he also served as chairman of the Danville Zoning and Planning Commissions; and

WHEREAS, Louis Mervis was a past chairman and 17-year member of the Illinois State Board of Education; and

WHEREAS, Louis Mervis has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades; in 1966, he was the recipient of the Jaycee Distinguished Service Award; in 1979, he received the "First Citizen Award" from the American Business Club; in 1988, he was the recipient of the first Excellence in Leadership award from Leadership Danville; in 1999, he was the recipient of the Rotary Club's Vocational Service Person of the Year award; and

WHEREAS, Louis Mervis and his wife, Sybil, have 5 children and 6 grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Louis Mervis serves as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

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