HR0436 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0436 LRB104 14521 ECR 27662 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Kevin Yates on the occasion of celebrating 25 years of service as executive director of the Chillicothe Park District (CPD); and

WHEREAS, More than 75 years ago, civic leaders acquired open land adjacent to the City of Chillicothe, featuring a distinctive clubhouse and beautiful grounds along the Illinois River, which was used to create an attractive park known as Shore Acres Park; and

WHEREAS, In the late 1990s, CPD was relying on several individuals to run its facilities, and it became obvious a single, full-time leader was needed; and

WHEREAS, Kevin Yates, a young, motivated, and energetic individual who had recently earned a degree in parks and recreation from Eastern Illinois University, was offered and accepted the full-time position of executive director of CPD; and

WHEREAS, Under Kevin Yates' leadership over the past 25 years, CPD has grown from a mostly one park facility to a multiple facility park district, including 250 acres of parkland that span over nine parks, and has enhanced its heritage park, Shore Acres; and

WHEREAS, Kevin Yates has been credited with expanding CPD to cover multiple properties within miles of the municipality, including a water park, a dog park, a splash pad, state-of-the art play equipment, picnic and hiking areas, tennis and pickleball courts, and much more; as a result of his transformative guidance in day-to-day operations, the park district has received wide recognition and now serves 20,000 residents; and

WHEREAS, Kevin Yates, a nationally recognized, credentialed professional in the field, has become well-known throughout the State for his mentorship of young people who wish to pursue careers in parks and recreation; he has further hired scores of high school and college youth to work in the various roles needed to keep the parks operational and attractive; and

WHEREAS, Kevin Yates has also contributed to the City of Chillicothe through his volunteer work, serving in various roles with the Chamber of Commerce, the Pearce Community Center, the Heart of Illinois Special Recreation Association, and Illinois Valley Central Unit School District 321, in addition to his involvement with many other boards, agencies, and communities; and

WHEREAS, Kevin Yates, in addition to his professional responsibilities, has established deep roots in Chillicothe as a resident, getting married and raising two children in the community; and

WHEREAS, Kevin Yates' strong leadership and the importance of CPD has been formally acknowledged by Mayor Michael Hughes, who declared June 11, 2025 as Kevin Yates Day in the City of Chillicothe; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Kevin Yates on achieving 25 years of service as executive director of the Chillicothe Park District (CPD); and be it further

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