SR0182 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0182 LRB103 31861 LAW 60499 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Molly M. Hall Buehner of both Springfield and Petersburg, who passed away on March 31, 2023; and

WHEREAS, Molly Hall was born to James Winford and Juanita Medows Hall on August 3, 1959; in the third grade, she moved from Arkansas to Petersburg, Illinois with her mother and sisters; she graduated from PORTA High School in 1977; she graduated from Eastern Illinois University; she also graduated from the Institute of Organizational Management (IOM) and was a Certified Association Executive (CAE); she married John Buehner in Springfield on April 7, 1990; and

WHEREAS, Molly Hall spent 14 years in radio and television news, starting at WTAX before working as a reporter and anchor at WCIA, where she met her husband, John; she then became the Statehouse Capitol Bureau Chief for WCIA and WMBD; shortly after becoming a mother, she worked at Illinois Power before shifting to nonprofit work; and

WHEREAS, Molly Hall served as the executive director of the Energy Education Council, a national nonprofit she built from a small University of Illinois initiative to serve electric utilities and their customers; after serving in that capacity for 18 years, she retired in the spring of 2020; and

WHEREAS, Molly Hall was an award-winning communicator, receiving national recognition from the Clarion Awards and the Telly Awards; and

WHEREAS, Molly Hall held several leadership roles in her volunteer board work, serving as president of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association, the Illinois Society of Association Executives, Unity Church of Champaign and Springfield, the Central Illinois Public Relations Society of America, the national and Springfield chapters of the Association of Women in Communications, and the historic New Salem Lincoln League; and

WHEREAS, Molly Hall was a beloved member of the Petersburg community; she participated in madrigal performances, her church's choir and bell choir, and was a foreign exchange mother to two PORTA students, Vivi and Natalia; and

WHEREAS, Molly Hall was a pillar of her family and a devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister, and aunt; she was known for her adventurous, fun-loving, ambitious, and boisterous spirit; she will be remembered for being dedicated to her family, passionate about her work, and committed to serving her community; and

WHEREAS, Molly Hall was preceded in death by her parents; and

WHEREAS, Molly Hall is survived by her husband, John Buehner; her daughter, Allison Buehner; and her sisters, Beth Kiningham, Rebecca Rowe, and Priscilla Reynolds, and their families; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Molly M. Hall Buehner and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Molly Hall as an expression of our deepest sympathy.