SR0319 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0319 LRB104 13683 MST 26360 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Tony Etz, who passed away on March 10, 2025 at the age of 64; and

WHEREAS, Tony Etz was a native of Beaufort, South Carolina and was the fourth generation of his family to attend Knox College in Galesburg, following his uncle, great-grandfather, and grandfather, who was also a longtime member and former chair of the board of trustees; and

WHEREAS, Tony Etz transferred to Knox during his sophomore year, stating that "it was the key that fit his lock," and was involved in the Union Board and Catch, the student literary magazine, where he served as an editor on the 1983 edition that received the National Program Directors' Prize from the Associated Writers and Writing Programs; he graduated with a degree in English writing in 1983; and

WHEREAS, Tony Etz attended the Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa, where he earned his Master of Fine Arts in 1985; he then moved to New York and later California to work in the entertainment business; and

WHEREAS, Tony Etz started in the made-for-television movie business and executive produced three telefilms that starred Brian Dennehy as Chicago cop Jack Reed from 1992 to 1994; he worked on other television movies that starred Raquel Welch, Melissa Gilbert, Peter Horton, and Lisa Hartman; and

WHEREAS, Tony Etz joined the Creative Arts Agency (CAA) in Los Angeles in 1994, where he began as an agent in the television department and ended as the co-head of packaging; and

WHEREAS, Over the course of his highly successful 30-year career at CAA, Tony Etz served in various leadership roles, representing writers, directors, actors, and producers, and was also involved in packaging series, including Lost, House, Big Little Lies, Grey's Anatomy, Rescue Me, Brothers and Sisters, Band of Brothers, and MTV's Jackass; and

WHEREAS, Tony Etz married fellow television agent Nancy Axelrode in 1999, and together, they had a son, Alex, in 2001; and

WHEREAS, Tony Etz taught media classes at the University of Southern California, where he started teaching as an adjunct professor in 2011; and

WHEREAS, Tony Etz had a long history of service to Knox College, joining the board of trustees in 2016 and serving as chair from July 2021 until his passing; and

WHEREAS, Tony Etz also served on various Knox College committees, including as a chair and member of the Committee of Campus Life and Athletics, as chair of the Executive, Steering, and Board Governance Review Committees, and as a member of the Advancement, Admission and Financial Aid, Finance, and Nominating Committees and of the Committee on Trustees; and

WHEREAS, Tony Etz chaired the search for Knox's 20th president, C. Andrew McGadney, and over the course of his service to Knox, he was known for his dedication to the mission and success of the college, his deep appreciation for faculty and students, and his insightful and direct approach to leadership, along with a playful sense of humor; and

WHEREAS, Tony Etz's leadership helped the board lead Knox College to rise to its full potential; he worked closely with President McGadney to launch a strategic planning framework, Our Strategy: A Bold and Ambitious Framework for Growth, refine the college's five-year financial plan, and invest in an enrollment growth plan that led to the third highest incoming class in Knox's history; and

WHEREAS, Tony Etz was an enthusiastic traveler, reader, music lover, and sports fan; he held season tickets for the Los Angeles Lakers, and in addition to his enthusiasm for and love of his alma mater, he was also proud of his home state, Illinois, and cried tears of joy when the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016; and

WHEREAS, In 2024, Tony and Nancy Etz established the Etz Family Institute for Civic Leadership and Dialogue, created to enable students and faculty to question their own views and beliefs, collaborate with political adversaries, and develop-and debate-solutions for daunting local, national, and global issues; the institute helps members of the Knox community build the skills and knowledge necessary to engage with people of differing viewpoints in service of the public good; and

WHEREAS, Tony Etz is survived by his wife, Nancy; his son, Alex; his siblings, David, Kathy, and Sara (Joni Mendonca); his in-laws, Dr. Stephen and Marla Axelrode; his nephews, Issac Graham, Lucas Mendonca, and Justin Axelrode; and his nieces, Madison Axelrode and Anna Mendonca; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Tony Etz and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Tony Etz as an expression of our deepest sympathy.