HR0735 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0735 LRB099 13795 GRL 37768 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Jill Rodriguez on the occasion of her retirement as Director of the Bensenville Public Library; and

WHEREAS, Jill Rodriguez began working at the Bensenville Public Library in 1977 as a Public Services Librarian; she transitioned to the position of Assistant Director in 1980, Acting Director in 1981, and Director later in 1981; and

WHEREAS, Jill Rodriguez oversaw the Library's move to its current location in 1978; she also supervised the Library's early adoption of an electronic catalog, a community-wide internet initiative, and free technology training; and

WHEREAS, Jill Rodriguez mentored countless employees, many who have gone on to successful directorships at libraries all over the United States; and

WHEREAS, Jill Rodriguez forged unique and valuable partnerships throughout her community, including the 1999 Lifelong Learning Center addition, which was a partnership between the Library and Bensenville School District 2; and

WHEREAS, Jill Rodriguez has been an active participant in the Bensenville Rotary Club, the Bensenville Community Foundation, the Bensenville Youth Coalition, and the Bensenville Intergovernmental Group; and

WHEREAS, Jill Rodriguez has always been environmentally conscious and a leader of promoting green energy, as evident by her fostering of the Library's Garden of Knowledge, which is beautifully stocked with plants native to Illinois; she was also instrumental in the Library's overhaul to all LED lighting, and most recently, the Library's installation of free-to-use electric vehicle charging stations; and

WHEREAS, Jill Rodriguez and her colleague, Bill Erbes, directed the Libraries Remember event, a yearly community-wide remembrance of the tragic events of September 11, 2001; and

WHEREAS, Jill Rodriguez worked tirelessly to find funding for the Library's new early childhood room addition in 2015, including the writing of a successfully funded $125,000 grant through the Illinois State Library; and

WHEREAS, Jill Rodriguez is a native of New Jersey; she made Bensenville a second home for herself and her 3 children, who are all proud Fenton High School graduates; she quickly became one of the community's most recognizable residents; and

WHEREAS, Jill Rodriguez will be retiring from the Bensenville Public Library on October 1, 2015 after many years of service to not only the patrons of the library, but all the residents of the Village of Bensenville; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Jill Rodriguez on the occasion of her retirement and wish her continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

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