HR1531 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1531 LRB099 24179 MST 51880 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate their colleague, Donald L. Moffitt, on the occasion of his retirement as State Representative of the 74th District after a long and distinguished career of public service; and

WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt was born in Galesburg to Russell and Gertrude Moffitt on February 18, 1947; and

WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt received his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education and Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois in 1969, where he was a member of the Nabor House Fraternity; and

WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt worked as a high school agriculture teacher from 1969 to 1973 for the ROVA School District (now ROWVA) in Oneida; during that time, he was elected as an Alderman for Oneida; he served as Mayor from 1972 to 1975; and

WHEREAS, In 1975, Representative Moffitt continued as a full-time family farmer in Gilson; farming goes back in his family seven generations to Scotland; and

WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt served as an Alderman for Knoxville from 1977 to 1978, and as Chair of the Police Committee for the City; he won a seat on the Knox County Board, serving from 1978 to 1984, and as Chair from 1982 to 1984; he served as Knox County Treasurer from 1984 to 1992, where he helped increase interest earnings on county-invested funds and brought real estate tax collection back on time; and

WHEREAS, In 1992, Representative Moffitt was elected by the constituents of the then-94th District to represent their interests in the Illinois House of Representatives; his district number changed to the 74th after the redistricting following the 2000 census, and he continued to dutifully represent his district until his retirement in early 2017; and

WHEREAS, Daring his career in the Illinois House, Representative Moffitt championed many causes, including improving fire prevention and response capabilities, agricultural initiatives, local government improvements, and safety issues such as requiring swing-out arms on the front of school buses; and

WHEREAS, Considered by both parties to be a legislator who "knew how to get things done", Representative Moffitt thrived in his committee service while serving in the Illinois House; he served as a member of the 9-1-1 Services Advisory Board from 2014 to 2015; a member and eventually Minority Spokesperson of the Agriculture and Conservation Committee from 1993 to 1996 and 2003 to the present; a member of the Public Safety Appropriations Committee from 1997 to 1998, 2005 to 2006, and 2013 to the present; Co-Chair of the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability from 2015 to the present; member and Vice-Spokesperson from 1993 to 1994 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, serving from 1993 to 1996, 1999 to 2006, 2011 to the present; Co-Chair of the EMS Task Force from 2011 to 2012, which held 16 public hearings throughout the State to gather input for recommendations; Co-Chair of the Fire Funding Task Force in 2002, which held 22 public hearings throughout the State to gather input for recommendations; Chair of the Fire Protection Committee from 2007 to 2010; founding member and Co-Chair of the bipartisan Illinois General Assembly Fire Caucus; a member of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules from 2011 to 2015; and Minority Spokesperson of the Public Safety-Police & Fire Committee from 2013 to 2014; and

WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt has been active in his community, serving as a Board Member for the Carver Community Action Agency, a member of the Galesburg Noon Lion's Club, a Mason, a member of the Knox County Farm Bureau, a member and Endowment Committee member, and as past Finance Committee Chair at Knoxville United Methodist Church; he was named a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow in 2007, and Lion's Club International Melvin Jones Fellow in 2013; he received the 2003 Thomas B. Herring Award from the Chamber of Commerce; and

WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt has been recognized and awarded for his service to his community time and again; he received the Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR Friend of Agriculture Award during each of his terms; the 1994 Illinois Political Action Committee for Education Outstanding Freshman Representative Award; the 1994 National Federation of Independent Business Illinois Guardian of Small Business Award; the 1996 Illinois Soybean Association Legislative Award; 2000 the Illinois Optometric Association Legislator of the Year Award; the 2002 Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts Legislator of the Year Award; the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois Legislative Award; the 2003 Illinois Pork Producers Legislative Award; he was also recognized as a University of Illinois Fire Service Institute Legislators Fire Academy Graduate in 2003; the 2003 Illinois Fire Service Legislator of the Year Award; the 2004 Genetic Task Force of Illinois Legislator of the Year Award; the 2005 Jim Guilinger Legislative Award from the Illinois Leadership Council for Ag Education; the 2005 Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board Distinguished Service Award; the 2006 Illinois Rural Health Association Legislator of the Year Award; the 2008 Mutual Aid Box Alarm System Appreciation Award; the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts which established the "Donald Moffitt" Legislator of the Year Award and presented it to its namesake in 2010; the 2012 Illinois Association of Arson Investigators Recognition of Sprinkler Legislation; the 2014 Illinois EMS Alliance Legislator of the Year Award; the 2014 Illinois 9-1-1 National Emergency Number Association Legislator of the Year Award; the 2014 Illinois Emergency Medical Technician Association Legislative Award; and the 2016 Northern Illinois Alliance of Fire Protection Districts Lifetime Achievement Award; and

WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt and his wife, Carolyn, have three children, Londa (Michael) Mauriello, Justin (Jenn) Moffitt, and Amanda (Lance) Setterdahl; they have eight grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Representative Moffitt has shown great passion, dedication, and commitment to his constituents and their needs throughout his legislative career; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor and congratulate State Representative Donald L. Moffitt for his work in the Illinois House of Representatives and wish him our best in his retirement; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Representative Moffitt as an expression of our esteem and respect.