HR0544 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0544 LRB102 21257 MST 30368 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate John Voit on the occasion of his retirement as President and CEO of UCP Seguin on November 11, 2021; and

WHEREAS, John Voit has been a leader in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Illinois for over 50 years; he began his career as a Direct Support Professional (DSP) after leaving St. Procopius College (Benedictine University) in 1970 and a brief stint in the U.S. Army; his first job was on the front lines of providing support to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and

WHEREAS, John Voit spent 22 years at the Ray Graham Association, starting in 1972 as a floor supervisor and eventually serving as executive director, furthering his commitment for those with IDD to live integrated into their community and have the supports they need to realize their dreams of work, a place to call home, inclusion in their neighborhood, and opportunities to be productive, valued members of society; and

WHEREAS, In 1998, John Voit became President and CEO of Seguin Services Inc. (UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago), an organization that started in 1949 and incorporated in 1976 when a group of parents in the western suburbs of Chicago responded to a lack of public education and other models of care for persons with disabilities; he helped Seguin Services develop into one the largest and most respected community services providers to persons with IDD in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Under John Voit's leadership over the past 23 years, UCP Seguin's annual budget, now nearly $50 million, has tripled as he has championed expansion and increased quality of services to individuals with IDD; and

WHEREAS, For his entire career and especially at UCP Seguin, John Voit has been successful in developing community integrated housing options for people with IDD, including those individuals transitioning from state-operated facilities "going home" to settings fully included in their communities, and has presided over the growth of residential services to now serve nearly 300 individuals in more than 75 homes scattered over 33 communities, such that UCP Seguin has become one of the largest and most successful providers of residential services in Illinois, all the while ensuring that each home is fully accessible and fitted with fire safety equipment; and

WHEREAS, Under John Voit's command, UCP Seguin has nearly doubled its Children's Foster Care services to children and adolescents with specialized medical and behavioral challenges, providing permanent, safe, and loving homes for abused and neglected children with disabilities and other special needs from birth to college age, while emphasizing community inclusion and effective transition into adult services; and

WHEREAS, John Voit led UCP Seguin's efforts in the formation of a variety of social enterprises collectively entitled Seguin Enterprises, which for the past two decades have provided gainful employment for people with IDD while securing discretionary earned income to support services through two core businesses, Seguin Auto Center and Seguin Gardens & Gifts; and

WHEREAS, With John Voit at the helm, UCP Seguin has responded to the growing population of seniors with IDD through the establishment of the innovative SeniorCares group home initiative and the founding of the Betty Scheck Senior Center Day Services program; and

WHEREAS, Drawing from his experience with his daughter with IDD, John Voit led efforts to establish the Building Bridges to the Future transition to adulthood initiative, which now annually supports more than 380 special education students and their families in accessing post-secondary community-inclusive service and education options; and

WHEREAS, In 2013, John Voit presided over the merger of two major and widely respected nonprofits, Seguin Services and United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago, which have since become UCP Seguin, constituting a momentous step to share competencies, expertise, and resources while achieving greater operational efficiencies and reduced costs and becoming well-positioned to provide more and better programs and services to help persons with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Under John Voit's leadership, the newly merged UCP Seguin organization has grown its pioneering multi-state Infinitec assistive technology and training services program, expanding to promote opportunities for inclusion and independence for children and adults with disabilities through assistive technology, information and training, and access to equipment and specialists; and

WHEREAS, Due to his belief that collaboration with peer organizations and respective stakeholders strengthens collective advocacy and offers greater opportunities for the services that people with IDD deserve, John Voit led the effort in 2017 to establish the They Deserve More (TDM) Coalition, which is comprised of community providers across Illinois, statewide associations, and individual stakeholders and has since been successful, for the first time in over a decade, in improving and expanding services to people with IDD and stabilizing the community service system through provision of a living wage for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs); and

WHEREAS, While there have been many challenges throughout John Voit's many years in a leadership role, he has led UCP Seguin through its greatest challenge, the COVID-19 pandemic, successfully working to keep people with disabilities, employees, foster parents, and the public safe and healthy, taking the lead on providing testing, vaccinations, and other safety measures while also collaborating with peer organizations and public health providers; and

WHEREAS, John Voit's vision for UCP Seguin is to forge boldly ahead with its mission, enabling all individuals served to achieve their potential, advance their independence, and act as full members of the community, as UCP Seguin stops at nothing to provide life skills training, assistive technology, meaningful employment, and a place to call home for people with disabilities, as well as specialized foster care for children, and helps them reach the ultimate goal of life without limits for people with disabilities; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate John Voit on his retirement as President and CEO of UCP Seguin and on his transition into a new role as Relationship Manager and commend his commitment to the thousands of individuals that have benefited from his leadership in the IDD community provider system throughout Illinois and for those cared for by UCP Seguin; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we thank John Voit for his lifelong commitment to those with disabilities, thank the staff that work every day to help each and every person live their best life with the greatest level of independence, and thank UCP Seguin for continuing to design and deliver quality outcome-based, person-centered services and supports for individuals who have developmental disabilities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to John Voit, former President and CEO of UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago.