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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate Paul W. Friedrichs on the
4occasion of his retirement as executive director of the
5Lombard Park District; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Paul Friedrichs has had a 36-year career in parks
7and recreation, serving the Lombard Park District for the past
825 years after initially being hired as the director of
9Finance and Personnel in July 1998; he began serving as
10executive director in June 2007; and
 
11    WHEREAS, During his tenure, Paul Friedrichs has overseen
12multimillion dollar referendums and renovation projects and
13obtained multiple grants worth hundreds of thousands of
14dollars to expand and enhance parks in the Lombard Park
15District; he has negotiated and executed numerous
16intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) with the Village of
17Lombard, the Helen Plum Library, and School Districts 44, 45,
18and 87 to enhance services in Lombard, including the
19acquisition of library property to expand green space in
20Lilacia Park, offering a before and after school program, and
21the sharing of property and facilities for growing school
22athletic programs; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Paul Friedrichs has been noted for his fiscal
2responsibility and dedication to the community; under his
3care, several referendums have come to fruition under budget
4and on time, including the Paradise Bay Water Park and the
5Madison Meadow Athletic Center; more recently, he expanded
6access to COVID-19 vaccines, which were made available to
75,000 individuals at the Madison Meadow Athletic Center
8through partnering with Jewel-Osco in 2021; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Under Paul Friedrichs' leadership, Lombard Park
10District has received several prestigious honors, including
11being named an Illinois Distinguished Accredited Agency,
12receiving the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)
13Gold Medal Award in 2009, being named a NRPA Gold Medal
14Finalist from 2017 to 2019, and receiving NRPA CAPRA
15Accreditation in 2016 and 2021; the district has also been
16recognized by the Government Finance Officers Association
17(GFOA), receiving the Certificate in Achievement in Financial
18Reporting every year since 2000 and the Distinguished Budget
19Presentation Award annually since 2013; and
 
20    WHEREAS, For his leadership and commitment, Paul
21Friedrichs has previously been named an Illinois Park and
22Recreation Association Professional of the Year; and
 
23    WHEREAS, Paul Friedrichs continues to engage the community

 

 

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1and work closely with leaders and legislators to advance parks
2and recreation initiatives; he is a member of the Illinois
3Association of Park Districts (IAPD)/Illinois Park and
4Recreation Association (IPRA) Joint Legislative Committee, and
5he serves on the board of trustees for the Northeast DuPage
6Special Recreation Association; he has also served on Park
7District Risk Management Agency (PDRMA) and IPRA committees
8throughout his career; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Before Paul Friedrichs concludes his service as
10executive director in December 2023, he will be overseeing the
11start of the redevelopment plans for Southland Park and
12assisting in the expansion plans for Lilacia Park, among other
13duties; therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
15HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
16we congratulate Paul W. Friedrichs on his retirement as
17executive director of the Lombard Park District, and we thank
18him for his decades of service to the Lombard Park District,
19the Village of Lombard, and the parks and recreation
20profession; and be it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
22presented to Paul Friedrichs as an expression of our esteem
23and respect.