HR0179 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0179 LRB101 11465 MST 57167 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Dr. G. Gary Grace, Executive Director and Dean of the University Center of Lake County, on his retirement; and

WHEREAS, In 2001, Dr. Grace became the founding Executive Director and first full-time employee of the University Center of Lake County; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Grace worked with the Center's Governing Board to turn into a reality the vision of the Illinois Board of Higher Education that University Center of Lake County would be an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a voluntary consortium of public and private universities, working together to provide opportunities for people to complete bachelor's degrees, earn graduate degrees, or pursue advanced professional development, while continuing to live and work in Lake County; and

WHEREAS, From a partnership of 12 institutions, the University Center of Lake County has grown under Dr. Grace's direction to a partnership of 18 institutions, offering more than 130 programs on an evening, weekend, or online schedule to approximately 1,275 students annually, and congratulating more than 325 graduates each year; and

WHEREAS, From an initial instruction, "You'll want to figure out how to run a payroll", Dr. Grace went on to develop University Center systems and practices for human resources, purchasing, accounts payable and receivable, room scheduling, needs assessment, outreach and government relations, board governance, capital construction, facility operations, and, most of all, collaboration with member institutions and local partners; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Grace worked closely with the College of Lake County to establish a small University Center facility in downtown Waukegan, which opened in 2004; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Grace also worked closely with the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Capital Development Board, and the Governing Board of the University Center and with bipartisan support from Lake County's state, county, and federal legislators to build a 91,146 square foot facility on the Grayslake campus of the College of Lake County on land generously donated by the college; the building opened in 2005 and won the Thomas H. Madigan Award for Outstanding New Construction through the CDB's "Pride in Partnership" awards program (2006) and the Gold Award in the Illinois/Indiana Masonry Council's "Excellence in Masonry" competition (2007); and

WHEREAS, During Dr. Grace's tenure leading the University Center of Lake County, it received the Educational Leadership Award from the Coalicion Unidos de Lake County in 2009, the Reflejos Reflecting Excellence Award for service to the Latino community in 2012, and the Innovative Initiative Award for its "First Generation College Outreach Program" from the Illinois Council on Continuing Higher Education in 2017; Dr. Grace himself received a 2007 Forefronts award from the Lake County Journal in appreciation of his overall commitment to the excellence of the Lake County community; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Grace's leadership of the University Center of Lake County has capped a distinguished career in higher education administration, including service as the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, as the Assistant Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, as the Vice President for Student Development at Morehead State University, as Director of Residence Life at Miami University, and as Assistant to the Vice President for University Relations at Florida State University; his career began right here in Illinois as Director of Residential Programs and Counseling Services at Illinois Wesleyan University; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Grace has contributed to the Lake County region through volunteer service to the Health Professions Education Consortium, the Clara Abbott Foundation, Lake County Partners, the St. Vincent DePaul Society, and Prince of Peace parish in Lake Villa; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Dr. G. Gary Grace on his retirement from the University Center of Lake County, and we wish him success and good health in the future; and be it further

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