HR1097 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1097 LRB097 21626 GRL 69906 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Dr. Vernon O. Crawley on the occasion of his retirement as President of Moraine Valley Community College; and

WHEREAS, Vernon Crawley earned his bachelor's degree from Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia; he subsequently earned his master's degree from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia and his doctorate from Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania; he also studied at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and American University in Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, Since 1991, Vernon Crawley has served as President of Moraine Valley Community College, a comprehensive community college located in the southwest suburbs of Chicago which serves over 46,000 students annually; and

WHEREAS, Prior to his tenure as President of Moraine Valley Community College, Vernon Crawley served as President of St. Louis Community College at Forest Park for 13 years and as an academic dean at Mercer County Community College in Trenton, New Jersey; he also served in administrative and teaching positions at Dundalk Community College in Baltimore, Maryland, Pennsylvania State University, Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, and Ruthville High School in Charles City, Virginia; and

WHEREAS, Vernon Crawley served as an administrative specialist in science for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Washington, D.C., developing educational materials from space program findings; he also worked as a chemist at Stuart Products Company in Richmond, Virginia; and

WHEREAS, Vernon Crawley serves as a board member on several national organizations, including the League for Innovation and Community Colleges for International Development, and on several local organizations in the Chicago area, including the Workforce Investment Board for Cook County, the Economic Development Corporation for the Southwest Suburbs, and the National Louis University Community College Leadership Presidents Advisory Council; he is also a member of the Oak Lawn Rotary Club; and

WHEREAS, Vernon Crawley served as a consultant/evaluator for the North Central Association, a regional accrediting agency, for over 25 years; he has served on the NCA Review Committee and the Institutional Actions Council; he served on American Council on Education's Commission on Minorities in Higher Education and was a member of the National Advisory Group, Expanding Leadership Opportunities for Minorities in Community Colleges; he has served on the boards of the Council on Higher Education Accreditation, the American Council on Education, the President's Round Table, the National Council on Black American Affairs, and the Walt Disney World College Advisory Committee; he also served a 3-year term on the board of the American Association of Community Colleges; and

WHEREAS, Vernon Crawley has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the 2009 ACCT national Marie Y. Martin CEO Award, the 2009 ACCT Central Region CEO Award, the Pacesetter Award from the National Council on Marketing and Public Relations, the Outstanding Leadership Award from the National Council on Black American Affairs, the Leadership Award from the National Council of Learning Resources, the Distinguished Scientist Award from Project SUCCESS/Charles City County Public Schools, and most recently, the Eugene Simpson Community Leadership Award from the Palos Area Chamber of Commerce and the 2012 Phi Theta Kappa Michael Bennett Lifetime Achievement Award; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Dr. Vernon O. Crawley on the occasion of his retirement, thank him for his many years of dedicated service to the people of the State of Illinois, and wish him many happy and healthy retirement years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Vernon Crawley as a symbol of our esteem and respect.