HR0725 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0725 LRB098 15289 MST 50311 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to recognize Mona B. Martin, the former Director of the House Republican Research and Appropriations staff and longtime Springfield business management consultant, on recently being inducted into the Samuel K. Gove Illinois Legislative Internship Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, The Samuel K. Gove Illinois Legislative Internship Hall of Fame honors former legislative interns whose careers have exemplified distinguished public service; and

WHEREAS, Mona Martin began her career in government through the Illinois Legislative Staff Internship Program in 1989, analyzing agency budgets; and

WHEREAS, After continuing with the House Republican Staff in 1990, Mona Martin became a substantive committee staff member, working with the members of her Caucus on what was then the House Revenue Committee; and

WHEREAS, Mona Martin was promoted by former House Minority Leader Lee A. Daniels, starting with the 1993 spring session, to be Director of Research for the House Republican staff; in this position, she performed, with enthusiasm and intelligence, in the supervision of staff analyses covering all of the substantive and budgetary challenges of the day; and

WHEREAS, Starting with the 1994 spring session, Mona Martin expanded her portfolio and became the Director of Research and Appropriations for her staff, thereby also supervising the staff work and analysis of Illinois' annual and supplemental budget bills; and

WHEREAS, In this capacity, in a typical year, Martin would supervise more than 25 analysts, interns, and office staff; and

WHEREAS, During this time, Mona Martin served as a mentor to dozens of legislative research staffers, not only training them in excellence, but also challenging and inspiring them with her own example; and

WHEREAS, After moving on to the executive branch of government in 1999, Mona Martin worked with her longtime friend and mentor Pam McDonough at what was then the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, serving as Managing Director of Policy Development, Planning and Research, and working closely with members of all 4 caucuses of the General Assembly to coordinate a $12,000,000,000 program of State public sector investments in local infrastructure, the IllinoisFIRST program; and

WHEREAS, Mona Martin moved her service to Illinois to a new realm in 2003 by joining the private sector, owning and operating her own firm as a business management consultant, and guiding the State and its top officials and lawmakers through challenges created by the new family of public policy issues that characterized the 2000's, especially the growing field of crises and opportunities created by changes in global health care and pharmaceutical management; and

WHEREAS, Mona Martin is a true daughter of Illinois, having spent her youth in the rural town of Buckley, in the heart of the "Grande Prairie" agricultural district, the most productive farmland on earth; and

WHEREAS, As a lettered "Rocket" at Buckley-Loda High School, Mona Martin became the most decorated female track athlete in the history of the school, medaling 3 consecutive times in school years 1982-85 by throwing the shot put at the State's track meet; and

WHEREAS, Mona Martin continued her studies at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado and North Central College in Naperville; and

WHEREAS, Those around Mona Martin are keenly aware of the support she has received throughout her career from her husband, David Joens, Ph.D., the current Director of the Illinois State Archives; together they are the proud parents of a son, Benjamin Joens; and

WHEREAS, Mona Martin and her family are enthusiastic travelers, bringing the heritage of Illinois to a variety of locations across Europe; their friends never know where they will be next; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Mona B. Martin on her induction into the Samuel K. Gove Illinois Legislative Internship Hall of Fame and thank her for her years of public service; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mona Martin and her family as a symbol of our respect and esteem.