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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to honor our friend and colleague,
4Illinois State Representative Renée Kosel, for her years of
5dedicated service to the people of the State of Illinois; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Representative Kosel earned her bachelor's degree
7in education from Western Illinois University; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Representative Kosel enjoyed a career as a school
9teacher in both Chicago and New Lenox, where she gained a keen
10understanding of the Illinois education system and the need for
11improvement; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Representative Kosel and her husband, Dr. Alfred
13Kosel, are long-time residents of New Lenox and have 3
14children, Janine Valkema, Christopher, and Eric; she and her
15husband have been blessed with 9 grandchildren; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Representative Kosel has been an active member of
17her community working towards its betterment, having served on
18the Lincoln-Way Central High School Board of Education and
19served on the Lincoln-Way Foundation for Educational
20Excellence Board of Directors; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Representative Kosel and her husband are members
2of Trinity Lutheran Church in New Lenox, and she is a member of
3the New Lenox Rotary Club; she currently serves with the
4Advocate Christ Medical Center Cancer Institute Foundation
5Board, the Alliance of the Illinois State Dental Society, and
6the Illinois State Rifle Association; she is also a past member
7of the Frankfort, Homer Township, Mokena, and New Lenox
8Chambers of Commerce, and is a current member of the Mokena
9Woman's Club; additionally, she serves as a member of Advocate
10Christ Medical Center Governing Council, serving as Chair from
112007 to 2009 and currently serving as Vice-Chair; she also
12serves as a Scholarship America Advisory Board member; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Representative Kosel was first elected to serve as
14State Representative on November 5, 1996, taking office in
15January of 1997; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Representative Kosel served as Assistant
17Republican Leader during her tenure, bringing the voice of her
18legislative district to the forefront of important issues; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Representative Kosel honorably represented the
20people of New Lenox, Mokena, Tinley Park, Frankfort, Homer
21Glen, Joliet, Lockport, and Orland Park; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Representative Kosel served with distinction on

 

 

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1many committees, caucuses, and task forces, including Tollway
2Oversight, Health Care Licenses, International Trade &
3Commerce, and Executive Committees, and as Republican
4Spokesperson for the Museums, Arts, & Cultural Enhancement
5Committee; she was a member of the Illinois Historic
6Preservation Caucus, the Local Government Caucus, the
7Environmental Legislative Caucus, the Fire Prevention Caucus,
8the Manufacturing Caucus, the Education Caucus, the Illinois
9House Special Committee on the Illinois State Toll Highway
10Authority, the Tax Relief Task Force, the Gambling Reform Task
11Force, the Education Task Force, the Project Success Oversight
12Committee, the Teacher Health Insurance Funding Task Force, the
13Jobs Creation Task Force, the Oral Health Summit Steering
14Committee, the Illinois-Liaoning (China) Sister State
15Committee, the House Republican Education Working Group, and
16the American Legislative Exchange Council Public Safety and
17Elections Task Force; and
 
18    WHEREAS, During much of the 2000 to 2010 decade,
19Representative Kosel's district was one of the fastest-growing
20suburban areas in the United States, leading to major
21challenges for her and her office; she rose to the occasion and
22successfully met the needs of a rapidly-growing constituency;
23and
 
24    WHEREAS, Representative Kosel always put the wishes of her

 

 

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1legislative district first by being a fierce advocate for
2fiscal responsibility, consistently voting to balance the
3State budget and hold the line on taxes to protect the citizens
4of Illinois; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Representative Kosel has received many awards
6during her years in office, including the American Legislative
7Exchange Council Legislator of the Year in 2008, the ARC of
8Illinois Legislator of the Year, the Illinois Home Health Care
9Council Legislator of the Year, the Advocates United Legislator
10of the Year in 1999 and 2003, the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce
11Legislator of the Year, the Illinois Farm Bureau's Friend of
12Agriculture in 2002, 2006, and 2010, the Employment Law
13Council's Job Defenders Award, the South Suburban Park &
14Recreation Professional Association's Legislator of the Year
15in 2002, the Illinois Association for Career and Technical
16Education 2005 Friend of Career and Technical Education, and
17both the Illinois Chamber of Commerce's Champion of Free
18Enterprise Award and Champion of Small Business Award; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Representative Kosel has worked tirelessly for
20the residents of her legislative district, sponsoring key
21pieces of legislation during her tenure, including a tax rebate
22for homeowners, expanding the Circuit Breaker Program, the
23"Bill of Rights" for property owners, and a waiting list bill
24for the disabled; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Representative Kosel has always placed education
2as her highest legislative priority; she fought for increased
3funding for our local schools and sponsored initiatives to
4improve school safety and reduce classroom sizes; she sponsored
5legislation to reform School Superintendents' retirement plans
6and was instrumental in enacting the School Construction
7Program; and
 
8    WHEREAS, During her 18 years in the Illinois House of
9Representatives, Representative Kosel served as the Chief
10Sponsor and Co-Sponsor on countless bills that have improved
11the lives of those living within her legislative district and
12the State of Illinois; therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
15we honor our friend and colleague Illinois State Representative
16Renée Kosel for her years of dedicated service to the people of
17this great State and wish her great success and happiness in
18her future endeavors; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to Representative Kosel and her family as a symbol of
21our esteem, respect, and gratitude.