HJ0099 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0099 LRB097 22925 MST 71730 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate James E. Mentesti on the occasion of his retirement after 27 years of service to the Great River Economic Development Foundation (GREDF); and

WHEREAS, James Mentesti has been helping business grow in Quincy and Adams County since 1986; he serves as director of the Rural Adams Development Corporation and is a member of the 35-county Tri-State Development Steering Committee; and

WHEREAS, James Mentesti served as director of development for 11 years at Quincy College (now Quincy University) and was later administrative manager of Quintron Corporation in Quincy; he graduated from Quincy College with a bachelor of science degree in business management; and

WHEREAS, James Mentesti's major accomplishments as GREDF president include: the retention of Knapheide Manufacturing after the flood of 1993, the Teska Study for Downtown Development, the East Broadway Corridor Study, creation of the Tri-State Development Summit, several quality of life initiatives, creation of the Rural Adams Development Corporation, development of the Adams County GIS System, procuring industries to locate in the Edward Schneidman Industrial Park, being named the Illinois Development Council Developer of the Year in 1991, and serving as the Illinois Development Council President from 1994-1995; and

WHEREAS, James Mentesti has worked tirelessly to recruit businesses for his community, including Blue Cross-Blue Shield, Wis-Pak Bottling Company, Jos. A. Bank, Cullinan Properties, Home Depot, Prince Agri Products, and Fitzpatrick Brothers; and

WHEREAS, James Mentesti has had many community leadership roles, serving as charter director of the Community Foundation of the Quincy area, Quincy University Trustee Emeritus, president of the Quincy University Foundation, past president of the Quincy Parks Foundation, board member of the Jackson Lincoln Swimming Complex, past president of the First Tee of Great River, past president of the Kiwanis Club of Quincy, past president of Spring Lake Country Club, board member of the Quincy area Chamber of Commerce, steering committee member of the Salvation Army Kroc Center, and past board member of the Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we congratulate James Mentesti on his service as president to the Great River Economic Development Foundation and his retirement after 27 years with the foundation; and be it further

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