HR0333 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0333 LRB102 18518 LAW 26728 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Bill Houlihan on the occasion of his retirement as state director for U.S. Senator Richard Durbin; and

WHEREAS, Bill Houlihan was born and raised in Chicago; he attended elementary and high schools in the south suburbs of Chicago; he earned his Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Eastern Illinois University in 1981, where he served as student body president; and

WHEREAS, Bill Houlihan began his lengthy political career at the tender age of 9 while passing out literature during his father's successful campaign for Illinois State Representative in 1964; and

WHEREAS, Bill Houlihan initially worked as an organizer for the Illinois Education Association in Springfield from 1981 to 1983; he then pursued his interest in political science and government; he served as an administrative assistant and the director of the Legislative Services Staff for Illinois Senate President Phil Rock from 1983 to 1993; he then took the position of director of the Springfield office of U.S. Senator Carol Moseley-Braun from 1993 to 1996; and

WHEREAS, Bill Houlihan joined the staff of U.S. Senator Richard Durbin following the senator's successful campaign in 1996; he has served as both the downstate director and state director; he brought to the roles his expertise in local, state, and federal government while overseeing the operations of the senator's four district offices; and

WHEREAS, Bill Houlihan is known for his commitment to the Democratic Party and has served the party in a number of capacities; he was elected as chairman of the Sangamon County Democratic Party for three 2-year terms starting in 1988, and he was elected again to this position in 2021; he also served as commissioner of the Springfield Public Building, trustee of the Springfield Sanitary District Trustee, and commissioner of the Springfield Housing Authority; he was elected as committeeman of the 18th District State Central Committee for the Democratic Party of Illinois in March 2014, and he still holds this position; and

WHEREAS, Bill Houlihan is an avid sports fan and enjoys traveling; and

WHEREAS, Bill Houlihan resides in Springfield with his wife, Cindy Winans Houlihan; they are the parents of four children, Mariah, Grant, John, and Neil, and the grandparents of six grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Bill Houlihan on the occasion of his retirement, and we recognize his commitment to the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Bill Houlihan as an expression of our esteem and respect.