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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate David Sam, Ph.D. on the
4occasion of his retirement as president of Elgin Community
5College (ECC); and
 
6    WHEREAS, Dr. Sam began serving as the eighth president of
7ECC on February 12, 2007; during his tenure, academic
8excellence, student success and completion, reduction of
9student loan debt, community outreach, partnerships, workforce
10development, equity, diversity and inclusion, and financial
11prudence have become the hallmarks of his presidency, and he
12has directed ECC towards achieving extraordinary results
13through collaborating with a visionary and engaged board of
14trustees, an outstanding and dedicated faculty, and a
15competent and committed team of administrators and staff; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Under Dr. Sam's leadership, ECC was named one of
1725 semifinalists, out of 1,047 community colleges nationwide,
18for the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, and
19the college was previously named an Aspen Top 150 College in
202015, 2019, and 2021; he oversaw ECC joining the student
21success initiative Achieving the Dream in 2009, earning the
22institution a Leader College status from 2012 to 2022 before
23then receiving the designation of a Leader College of

 

 

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1Distinction; he led ECC's efforts to pass a $178 million
2capital referendum in 2009, transforming the campus into a
3modern, state-of-the-art learning environment; his guidance
4has been essential towards securing financial stability and
5sound fiscal management for ECC, earning the college an Aaa
6rating from Moody's Ratings since 2009 and an AA+ rating from
7Standard & Poor's since 2010; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Before joining ECC, Dr. Sam served as president
9of North Harris College in Texas for six-and-a-half years;
10previously, he served as dean of the Community & Technical
11College and a social science and business management professor
12at the University of Akron, Ohio; prior to that, he served as
13vice president for Faculty and Instruction at Harrisburg Area
14Community College in Pennsylvania, as acting vice president of
15Academic Affairs and dean of Natural and Social Sciences at
16Mott Community College in Michigan, and as assistant
17professor/coordinator of International Studies at College of
18DuPage in Illinois; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Dr. Sam, a native of Ghana, West Africa, received
20his Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Political Science, and
21History from Illinois State University (ISU); he earned a
22Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy and a Ph.D. in
23International Economic and Political Relations from Tufts
24University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy; he also

 

 

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1obtained an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Northwestern
2University's Kellogg School of Management, a Juris Doctor from
3the University of Akron School of Law, and a Master of Laws
4(LLM) in Energy Law and Policy at the University of Dundee,
5United Kingdom; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Dr. Sam serves on the boards of directors for the
7St. Charles Bank & Trust, Alignment Collaborative for
8Education, the Golden Corridor Family YMCA, and the Elgin Area
9Chamber of Commerce, holding the office of chair from May 2015
10to January 2017; he is an Illinois Phi Theta Kappa
11Presidential Ambassador and an active member of the Rotary
12Club of Elgin; he also belongs to the Illinois Council of
13Community College Presidents, serving as secretary/treasurer
14from 2021 to 2022, vice chair from 2022 to 2023, and chair from
152023 to 2024; as a licensed attorney, he is a member of the
16District of Columbia Bar, the Energy Bar Association, and the
17American Bar Association; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Dr. Sam has received a number of accolades,
19including being inducted into the ISU College of Arts &
20Sciences Hall of Fame, being named a Rotary International
21Club's Paul Harris Fellow, and receiving the Phi Theta Kappa's
22Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction, Judson University's D.
23Ray Wilson Volunteer Service Award, the Illinois Community
24College Trustees Association's Gary W. Davis Ethical

 

 

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1Leadership Award, the Elgin Cosmopolitan Club's Distinguished
2Service Award, and an Illinois Consortium for International
3Studies and Programs Member Emeritus Award; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Dr. Sam has left an indelible mark on ECC, and of
5the more than 68,167 degrees and certificates ECC has awarded
6since its founding in 1949, approximately 55.9% have been
7awarded during his tenure; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
9HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
10we congratulate David Sam, Ph.D. on his retirement as
11president of Elgin Community College (ECC), and we commend him
12for his exemplary service and dedication to the students,
13faculty, staff, and community of ECC; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15presented to Dr. Sam as an expression of our esteem and
16respect.