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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate Dr. G. Gary Grace,
4Executive Director and Dean of the University Center of Lake
5County, on his retirement; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In 2001, Dr. Grace became the founding Executive
7Director and first full-time employee of the University Center
8of Lake County; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Dr. Grace worked with the Center's Governing Board
10to turn into a reality the vision of the Illinois Board of
11Higher Education that University Center of Lake County would be
12an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a voluntary
13consortium of public and private universities, working
14together to provide opportunities for people to complete
15bachelor's degrees, earn graduate degrees, or pursue advanced
16professional development, while continuing to live and work in
17Lake County; and
 
18    WHEREAS, From a partnership of 12 institutions, the
19University Center of Lake County has grown under Dr. Grace's
20direction to a partnership of 18 institutions, offering more
21than 130 programs on an evening, weekend, or online schedule to
22approximately 1,275 students annually, and congratulating more

 

 

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1than 325 graduates each year; and
 
2    WHEREAS, From an initial instruction, "You'll want to
3figure out how to run a payroll", Dr. Grace went on to develop
4University Center systems and practices for human resources,
5purchasing, accounts payable and receivable, room scheduling,
6needs assessment, outreach and government relations, board
7governance, capital construction, facility operations, and,
8most of all, collaboration with member institutions and local
9partners; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Dr. Grace worked closely with the College of Lake
11County to establish a small University Center facility in
12downtown Waukegan, which opened in 2004; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Dr. Grace also worked closely with the Illinois
14Board of Higher Education, the Capital Development Board, and
15the Governing Board of the University Center and with
16bipartisan support from Lake County's state, county, and
17federal legislators to build a 91,146 square foot facility on
18the Grayslake campus of the College of Lake County on land
19generously donated by the college; the building opened in 2005
20and won the Thomas H. Madigan Award for Outstanding New
21Construction through the CDB's "Pride in Partnership" awards
22program (2006) and the Gold Award in the Illinois/Indiana
23Masonry Council's "Excellence in Masonry" competition (2007);

 

 

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1and
 
2    WHEREAS, During Dr. Grace's tenure leading the University
3Center of Lake County, it received the Educational Leadership
4Award from the Coalicion Unidos de Lake County in 2009, the
5Reflejos Reflecting Excellence Award for service to the Latino
6community in 2012, and the Innovative Initiative Award for its
7"First Generation College Outreach Program" from the Illinois
8Council on Continuing Higher Education in 2017; Dr. Grace
9himself received a 2007 Forefronts award from the Lake County
10Journal in appreciation of his overall commitment to the
11excellence of the Lake County community; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Dr. Grace's leadership of the University Center of
13Lake County has capped a distinguished career in higher
14education administration, including service as the Vice
15Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of
16Missouri-St. Louis, as the Assistant Chancellor for Student
17Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, as the Vice
18President for Student Development at Morehead State
19University, as Director of Residence Life at Miami University,
20and as Assistant to the Vice President for University Relations
21at Florida State University; his career began right here in
22Illinois as Director of Residential Programs and Counseling
23Services at Illinois Wesleyan University; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Dr. Grace has contributed to the Lake County
2region through volunteer service to the Health Professions
3Education Consortium, the Clara Abbott Foundation, Lake County
4Partners, the St. Vincent DePaul Society, and Prince of Peace
5parish in Lake Villa; therefore, be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
7HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
8we congratulate Dr. G. Gary Grace on his retirement from the
9University Center of Lake County, and we wish him success and
10good health in the future; and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12presented to Dr. Grace as a symbol of our respect and esteem.