HR0166 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0166 LRB094 10710 CSA 41114 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Richard J. Roman has been selected as Chairman of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association; and

WHEREAS, Richard J. Roman is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Signature Room Entertainment Group, owner/operator of The Signature Room at the 95th, The Signature Lounge - the popular restaurant and lounge on top of the John Hancock Center - and more recently, The Signature Room Grille in Tampa, Florida; and

WHEREAS, Under his leadership, The Signature Room, formerly known as The 95th with a history as a formal dining room, was taken in a new direction in 1993 when he and his partners assumed management and casual upscale dining and a menu of contemporary American cuisine were introduced; it has earned favorable critic reviews, was named "Restaurant of the Year" in 1996 by Food & Beverage Equipment Executives and has ranked high in local newspaper reader polls as one of Chicago's most romantic restaurants as well as a popular weekend brunch destination; and

WHEREAS, The restaurant is periodically featured in Chicago Magazine's "Old Favorites & Hot Spots" column, was voted as one of "America's Top Tables" by Gourmet Magazine readers in 1997, 1998, and 1999, and has consecutively won the Wine Spectator Award for Excellence since 1993; more recently, the Signature Room was awarded the 2003 "Business Impact of the Year Award" by The Greater North Michigan Association, an award presented to the business with the most innovative ideas and contribution as a corporate citizen; and

WHEREAS, Also under his direction, The Signature Room implemented a charity program which directs a portion of each month's receipts to local nonprofit groups; donations to date total more than $500,000; and

WHEREAS, Richard Roman attended Marquette University and holds a bachelor's degree in hotel and restaurant management from the University of Wisconsin-Stout; he formed The Signature Room Entertainment Group following tenure with Hyatt Hotels, Inc. where he held a number of management positions at Chicago area properties; and

WHEREAS, A past chairman of the Illinois Restaurant Association, he was named "Illinois Restaurateur of the Year" in 1999 by the organization; he is a member of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau and is also on the board of the National Restaurant Association; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Richard J. Roman on his selection as Chairman of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association and wish him well in his new position; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Richard J. Roman as an expression of our esteem.