HR1321 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1321 LRB100 24262 MST 43506 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate State Representative David S. Olsen on his distinguished service to the 81st Legislative District and the people of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Olsen was a member of the Illinois House from mid-2016 until January of 2019 and served the body with honor and distinction; and

WHEREAS, The people of DuPage and Will Counties were very well-served by the leadership and bipartisanship of Rep. Olsen during his tenure; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Olsen was born and raised in the 81st District; he graduated from Downers Grove South High School in 2007 and earned dual undergraduate degrees in finance and management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he served as student body president and was a Rhodes Scholarship finalist; and

WHEREAS, Prior to taking his seat in the General Assembly, Rep. Olsen was employed as an ethics and compliance officer for BP's commodity trading division in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, In 2013, Rep. Olsen was elected to the Downers Grove Village Council, where he served until 2016; he was selected by his peers to serve as mayor pro tem from 2015 to 2016; and

WHEREAS, In 2016, Rep. Olsen was appointed to fill a vacancy on the College of DuPage Board of Trustees, where he also served as the board's vice chairman during a tumultuous time for the college; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Olsen continues to serve on the board of directors for the School District 58 Education Foundation and is an active member of the Chamber630; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Olsen is a member of the Friendship United Methodist Church of Bolingbrook, where he has served as co-leader of the eighth grade confirmation class and is a member of the choir; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Olsen is widely respected by lawmakers from both political parties because he always promoted honest dialogue on all points of view regarding legislative issues while remaining a fierce advocate of balanced budgets and responsible spending; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Olsen's first successful bill in the House of Representatives addressed the pressing need for property tax relief and pension reform by increasing the number of hours an elected official must work to become eligible for a pension through the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund; and

WHEREAS, During his tenure in the General Assembly, Rep. Olsen served on several influential House Committees, including the Community College Access & Affordability, Elementary & Secondary Education: Curriculum and Policies, Judiciary-Criminal, Public Utilities, Renewable Energy & Sustainability, Appropriations- General Services, Elementary & Secondary Education: Licensing and Administration, Financial Institutions, Mass Transit, Aging and Government Consolidation & Modernization Committees; and

WHEREAS, In 2016, Rep. Olsen was appointed to serve on the Rare Diseases Commission, and in 2017, he was appointed to serve on the House Sexual Discrimination & Harassment Task Force; and

WHEREAS, In 2017, Rep. Olsen was chosen as one of 40 young emerging leaders in Illinois to participate in the bipartisan, bicameral Edgar Fellows leadership program; and

WHEREAS, In 2018, Representative Olsen was chosen as the sole Illinois representative to the Millennial Action Project's 12-member bipartisan Democracy Reform Task Force, where he worked with representatives and senators from across the nation to advance legislation on fair maps, government accountability, and access to voting; and

WHEREAS, During his time as the legislative voice for the 81st District, Rep. Olsen championed dozens of bills that saved taxpayers money, brought fairness, transparency, and efficiency to state government, and improved public safety; he ushered several bills into law as the chief sponsor, including landmark consolidation legislation that simplifies the process to consolidate the functions of mosquito abatement districts; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Olsen always stood with taxpayers and opposed all efforts to move Illinois away from its flat tax system and toward a graduated income tax; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Olsen has been honored with a multitude of awards and recognitions during his time in the General Assembly, including the Young Professional of the Year Award from Chamber630, the Environmental Stewardship Award from the Illinois Environmental Council, the Friend of Agriculture Award from the Illinois Farm Bureau, the Friend of Manufacturing Award from the Illinois Technology & Manufacturing Association, and the Legislator of the Year Award from the Illinois School Counselors Association; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate State Representative David S. Olsen on making a positive difference in the lives of the people he represented in DuPage and Will Counties and across Illinois, and we wish him the best in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Rep. Olsen as an expression of our esteem and respect for our colleague and friend.