HR1396 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1396 LRB098 23515 GRL 62706 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to recognize Illinois State Representative Sandra Pihos for her 12 years of service and hard work on behalf of the people of the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Representative Pihos has had a long and distinguished career in public service; she first served her local community for many years as a member and president of the Glenbard High School District #87 School Board before her election to the Illinois House of Representatives in 2002; and

WHEREAS, Representative Pihos has been a resident of Glen Ellyn for 41 years, having taught both elementary and middle school; she also worked as a high school guidance counselor and held the position of vice president of Pihos Enterprises, a restaurant management firm, from 1993 to 2000; and

WHEREAS, Representative Pihos is especially proud of her work in the Illinois House of Representatives as a long-time member of the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, where she served as the Minority Spokesperson; she also served as the Minority Spokesperson for the Appropriations Elementary and Secondary Education, Disability Services, Aging, and Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Committees; and

WHEREAS, Representative Pihos was a member of numerous Committees, including the Consumer Protection, Accountability & Administrative Review, Small Business Empowerment & Workforce Development, Appropriations-Human Services, Commerce and Business Development, Public Policy and Accountability, Tourism and Conventions, Mass Transit, Telecommunications, Housing, and Tollway Oversight Committees; and

WHEREAS, Representative Pihos served the General Assembly as a member of the Legislative Audit Commission, the Illinois Workforce Development Board, the Bi-Partisan Job Creation Task Force, the Charter Schools Task Force, the Joint Task Force on Community Colleges, as Chair of the Special Education Funding Task Force, Co-Chair of the Commission on the Elimination of Poverty, Co-Chair of the Internet Safety Task Force, and Co-Chair of the Advisory on Education Funding; and

WHEREAS, Representative Pihos will be remembered for her outstanding record of support for education, social security protection, consumer protection, identity theft, affordable housing, health awareness, children's health insurance, and environmental issues; and

WHEREAS, Representative Pihos was awarded the Philip J. Rock Center and School Meritorious Service Award, the Illinois Coalition of Community Blood Centers Representative of the Year Award, and has been recognized as Woman of the Year by the United Hellenic Voters; and

WHEREAS, Representative Pihos has also received the Legislator of the Year Award by several organizations, including the Illinois Optometric Association, the Illinois School Counselor Association, the Illinois Association of School Administrators, the DuPage Housing Action Coalition, the Ray Graham Association, the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association, the Illinois Association of School Social Workers, and the Northeastern DuPage Special Recreation Association; and

WHEREAS, Representative Pihos has received the Alzheimer's Advocacy Award, the American Conservative Union Foundation Award, the First Responder Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response Readiness Award, the Illinois Coalition of Community Blood Centers Representative of the Year Award, the Housing Action Illinois Golden Trowel Award, the Guardian of Small Business Award, the Partners in Quality Award for her dedication to the advancement of quality in older adult services, the DuPage Center for Independent Living Spirit of ADA Award, the Illinois Farm Bureau Activator Award, the American Cancer Society Regional Advocacy Partner Award, and the Illinois Environmental Council Award; and

WHEREAS, Representative Pihos is the former co-chair of the Conference of Women Legislators and the current Illinois State Director of Women in Government; she is also the current co-chair of the NEW Leadership Program, which hones the leadership skills of young women, and the co-founder of the Illinois Alzheimer Legislators Alliance; and

WHEREAS, Representative Pihos serves on several boards, including Giant Steps Illinois, the Partnership for Educational Progress Foundation, Family Shelter Service, the DuPage Regional Leadership Council of the American Cancer Society, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate our friend and colleague, State Representative Sandra Pihos, on her retirement from the Illinois of House of Representatives and wish her the best in her future endeavors; and be it further

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