HR0477

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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
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Representatives are pleased to congratulate Joseph C. Szabo on 
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the occasion of being selected to serve as Federal Railroad 
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Administrator by President Barack Obama; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Joseph Szabo is a fifth-generation railroader 
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whose ancestors worked for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, 
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Wabash, and Illinois Central (IC) Railroads; while still in 
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high school, he assisted his father, a 40-year IC switchman and 
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14-year union officer, with his bookkeeping work as 
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secretary/treasurer of UTU Local 1299; he was hired to work for 
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the Illinois Central in 1976, where he was employed as a yard 
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switchman, road trainman, and commuter passenger conductor; he 
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became an employee of Metra when IC sold its Commuter Division 
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in 1987; and

 
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    WHEREAS, By 1984, Joseph Szabo was following in his 
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father's footsteps, winning the election to serve as 
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secretary/treasurer of UTU Local 1290; he later progressed to 
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become Local 1290's Delegate and Legislative Representative, 
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eventually winning the election to serve as Vice Chairman of 
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the UTU Illinois Legislative Board in 1991; in February of 
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1996, he was elected to serve as State Director of the UTU 
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Illinois Legislative Board; since then, he has been re-elected 
 


 






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by acclamation three times in 2000, 2004, and 2008; in October 
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of 2006, he was appointed to the position of vice president of 
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the Illinois AFL-CIO and, in October 2008, was elected to a 
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full four-year term; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Joseph Szabo was also active in local government 
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in the Chicago suburb of Riverdale for more than twenty years, 
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eventually serving as mayor; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Joseph Szabo served as a member of the South 
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Suburban Mayors Transportation Committee and Vice Chairman of 
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the Chicago Area Transportation Study's Executive Committee; 
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following the 2002 gubernatorial election, he co-chaired the 
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Freight Rail Sub-Committee of Governor Rod Blagojevich's 
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Transition Team; since 2005, he has been assigned by the UTU 
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International to the Federal Railroad Administration's Rail 
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Safety Advisory Committee, where he participates in the 
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drafting of rail-safety regulations; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Joseph Szabo has served in a variety of positions 
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to help decision makers in State government shape a 
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transportation and economic development vision for Illinois; 
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he held an advisory position on the State of Illinois Growth 
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Task Force and previously served on the Executive Council of 
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Metropolis 2020; he is also a former member of Business Leaders 
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for Transportation and the legislative advisory committee for 
 


 






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the Metropolitan Planning Council; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Joseph Szabo earned his bachelor's degree in labor 
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relations from Governors State University in 1990; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Joseph Szabo served as the Alternate National 
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Legislative Director of the UTU's National Legislative Office 
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in Washington from January 15, 2009 until his resignation on 
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May 4, 2009; on May 5, 2009, he was sworn in to serve as the 
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Federal Railroad Administrator; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Joseph Szabo serves as a model of hard work, 
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integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of 
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Illinois; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate Joseph C. Szabo on the occasion of being selected 
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to serve as Federal Railroad Administrator and wish him 
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continued success and happiness in the future; and be it 
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further

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