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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to recognize Ray Drake on the occasion of
4his retirement as vice president of State Government Affairs
5for the United Parcel Service; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Ray Drake was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey; a
7Yankees baseball fan since his youth, he developed an early
8interest in politics; he earned his Bachelor of Arts in
9Political Science from The College of New Jersey, during which
10time he began his career with the United Parcel Service (UPS)
11as a package handler in 1976; upon graduation, he joined the
12management team in the Industrial Engineering Department at
13UPS, serving in various assignments at both state and regional
14levels; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Ray Drake spent 35 years in Engineering and
16Operations at UPS, 33 of which were in management, before
17transitioning to Government Affairs; he is retiring as vice
18president of State Government Affairs on March 31, 2022, where
19he has been responsible for 21 Midwestern and Northern states,
20including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and
21Wisconsin; he has served in this capacity for the last 11
22years; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Ray Drake, as a transportation advocate, has made
2a number of notable accomplishments in and around the General
3Assembly; he developed and helped secure funding for UPS's
4Chicagoland Regional College Program, a successful ongoing
5public-private partnership program that was recognized by the
6Obama White House for UPS's ability to employ thousands of
7student workers while assisting them in obtaining college
8degrees; he aided in passing legislation designed to create
9parity in the tax rates that are paid on differing types of
10fuels when used in motor vehicles (Public Act 100-0009); he
11assisted in the passing of a bill that granted licensing to
12third-party logistics providers, or what are commonly called
133PLs (Public Act 101-0420); and
 
14    WHEREAS, Ray Drake, when not fulfilling his UPS
15obligations, has served and continues to serve in various
16civic capacities; he was the past chairman of the Illinois
17Chamber of Commerce, where he also served as its vice chairman
18and secretary; he is the current chairman of the Illinois
19Chamber Foundation Board and serves on the Chicagoland
20Chamber's Board of Directors and its Public Policy Committee;
21he serves on The Civic Federation's Board of Directors; he
22also serves on the IDOT-established Illinois State Freight
23Advisory Council, and he was the past chair of the Executive
24Steering Committee for the group; his expansive breadth of
25knowledge on transportation issues is welcomed and

 

 

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1sought-after as a board member of trucking associations in
2Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin, as well as
3with several legislative committees of other state chambers;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, Ray Drake, as a resident of St. Charles, gives
6back to his community as a board member of CASA (Court
7Appointed Special Advocates for Children) of Kane County, an
8organization that advocates for the best interests of children
9in abuse and neglect cases within the Juvenile Justice System;
10and
 
11    WHEREAS, Ray Drake is married to Mary Beth, and they have
12three adult children; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Ray Drake serves as a role model of hard work,
14integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of
15Illinois; his absence will not only be felt at UPS but also by
16all those outside of UPS and the General Assembly who have had
17the opportunity to work alongside him; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
19HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
20we recognize Ray Drake on his retirement as vice president of
21UPS State Government Affairs, and we commend him for his 46
22years of service to UPS; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That we wish Ray Drake and his family the very
2best in a long and happy retirement; and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
4presented to Ray Drake as an expression of our esteem and
5respect.