HR1090 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1090 LRB097 21456 KXB 69504 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Mike O'Grady on his retirement as Director of Grounds and Fleet Operations at Illinois State University in Normal; and

WHEREAS, He oversees exterior maintenance of the 450 acre campus and has served the University for over 36 years; he began his profession at Illinois State as a grounds worker and has served in a number of leadership roles over the years, including the past 13 years as the Director of Grounds; and

WHEREAS, Under his leadership the Illinois State campus has been awarded 8 national and 6 local awards for campus beauty and the department's maintenance program; in 2008, Illinois State was named the first University in the State of Illinois to be awarded the designation of Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, an award it has continued to receive every year since; and

WHEREAS, Over the past several years, he has introduced a number of environmentally sustainable practices to campus, including ultra-thin concrete white-topping in parking lots, permeable concrete, bio-swale installations to aid in storm water management, rain gardens, "no mow zones", and most recently the beginning of the development of an Oak Savanna Restoration project next to the new Cardinal Court Complex; and

WHEREAS, He assisted in seeking grants that would be used to create the community's first food waste composting program, diverting over one million pounds of food waste from the area landfill in the first year; he has also helped to create the campus's biodiesel program that uses cooking oil from the campus dining areas to run vehicles on the campus; almost 6,000 gallons of cooking oil is being developed into biodiesel on an annual basis; and

WHEREAS, He was a 2011 recipient of Governor Quinn's Green Government award for his sustainable efforts on the campus; he is the Past President of the Civil Service Counsel and currently serves on the Athletics' Wiesbecker Scholarship Advisor Board, and serves as Chair of the Redbird Pride Committee; and

WHEREAS, He is a graduate of the Leadership McLean County program and has served on various boards in the community, including the Bloomington-Normal Boy and Girls Club, the Mclean County Extension Foundation, and Leadership McLean County; and

WHEREAS, He also serves as the Township Supervisor of Hudson Township; he and his wife, Connie, have 2 children, Brandon and Jamie and live in Hudson; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we wish Mike O'Grady the best in his retirement and all the best in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mike O'Grady as a symbol of our respect and esteem.