SR1049LRB103 40983 LAW 74066 r

1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to
3congratulate David Sam, Ph.D. on the occasion of his
4retirement as president of Elgin Community College (ECC); and
 
5    WHEREAS, Dr. Sam began serving as the eighth president of
6ECC on February 12, 2007; during his tenure, academic
7excellence, student success and completion, reduction of
8student loan debt, community outreach, partnerships, workforce
9development, equity, diversity and inclusion, and financial
10prudence have become the hallmarks of his presidency, and he
11has directed ECC towards achieving extraordinary results
12through collaborating with a visionary and engaged board of
13trustees, an outstanding and dedicated faculty, and a
14competent and committed team of administrators and staff; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Under Dr. Sam's leadership, ECC was named one of
1625 semifinalists, out of 1,047 community colleges nationwide,
17for the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, and
18the college was previously named an Aspen Top 150 College in
192015, 2019, and 2021; he oversaw ECC joining the student
20success initiative Achieving the Dream in 2009, earning the
21institution a Leader College status from 2012 to 2022 before
22then receiving the designation of a Leader College of
23Distinction; he led ECC's efforts to pass a $178 million

 

 

SR1049- 2 -LRB103 40983 LAW 74066 r

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

 

 

SR1049- 3 -LRB103 40983 LAW 74066 r

1University's Kellogg School of Management, a Juris Doctor from
2the University of Akron School of Law, and a Master of Laws
3(LLM) in Energy Law and Policy at the University of Dundee,
4United Kingdom; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Dr. Sam serves on the boards of directors for the
6St. Charles Bank & Trust, Alignment Collaborative for
7Education, the Golden Corridor Family YMCA, and the Elgin Area
8Chamber of Commerce, holding the office of chair from May 2015
9to January 2017; he is an Illinois Phi Theta Kappa
10Presidential Ambassador and an active member of the Rotary
11Club of Elgin; he also belongs to the Illinois Council of
12Community College Presidents, serving as secretary/treasurer
13from 2021 to 2022, vice chair from 2022 to 2023, and chair from
142023 to 2024; as a licensed attorney, he is a member of the
15District of Columbia Bar, the Energy Bar Association, and the
16American Bar Association; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Dr. Sam has received a number of accolades,
18including being inducted into the ISU College of Arts &
19Sciences Hall of Fame, being named a Rotary International
20Club's Paul Harris Fellow, and receiving the Phi Theta Kappa's
21Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction, Judson University's D.
22Ray Wilson Volunteer Service Award, the Illinois Community
23College Trustees Association's Gary W. Davis Ethical
24Leadership Award, the Elgin Cosmopolitan Club's Distinguished

 

 

SR1049- 4 -LRB103 40983 LAW 74066 r

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