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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives wish to congratulate Naperville Mayor A. 
4George Pradel on the occasion of his retirement; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, Mayor Pradel took his oath of office as 
6Naperville's 40th Mayor on May 1, 1995; he was re-elected in 
71999, 2003, and in 2007, becoming the only Naperville Mayor to 
8be elected to 4 terms; he is currently serving his 5th term; 
9and
  
 
10    WHEREAS, Mayor Pradel has guided Naperville through a 
11period of significant growth; the city's population places it 
125th in the State and it  has received national and international 
13recognition; it is among the top 3 best places to live in the 
14Chicago area and is among the best places to retire in the 
15United States; it has the lowest crime rate in the country for 
16a city its size; it was named as the #1 City in the United 
17States to Raise Children in 1997 and received the #2 ranking in 
181999; in 2013, Naperville was selected by Money Magazine as the 
193rd best place to live and raise children in the country; 
20financially, the city is one of the strongest and has earned a 
21dual AAA bond rating since 1995; and
  
 
22    WHEREAS, Mayor Pradel has led the recent relocation and 
 
 
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1expansion projects that have brought and retained some of the 
2country's leading technological and retail businesses, 
3providing an outstanding quality of life for its residents; in 
42004, he received the Chicagoland's Hottest Mayor award from 
5Eric and Kathy at 101.FM, The Mix; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, Mayor Pradel is a participant with numerous 
7organizations, including the Naperville Lions Club, the 
8Naperville Rotary Club, the American Cancer Society, the 
9Illinois Police Association, the DuPage County Police 
10Association, the Naperville Marines, the Veterans of Foreign 
11Wars, the American Legion, and the Naperville Exchange Club; he 
12serves on many boards, including, Police and Fire Pension, the 
13North East Multi-Regional Training, DuPage 100 Club, State 
14Police Merit, and the Naperville Development Partnership; and
  
 
15    WHEREAS, Mayor Pradel had previously served with the 
16Naperville Police Department for 29 years, working his way 
17through the ranks from parking enforcement and the juvenile 
18division to Sergeant in 1977; he was promoted to Lieutenant in 
191986; he retired in April of 1995 to assume his position as 
20Mayor; while with the department, he was instrumental in 
21establishing the bicycle and child safety programs for the city 
22and has been known as "Officer Friendly" to 3 generations of 
23Naperville students; therefore, be it
  
 
 
 
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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
2NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
3congratulate Naperville Mayor A. George Pradel on his 
4retirement, and wish him the best in all his future endeavors; 
5and be it further
  
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
7presented to Mayor Pradel as an expression of our esteem and 
8respect.