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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate Cynthia T.
4 Peterson on the occasion of her retirement after 25 years of
5 service to the residents of the Vernon Hills Park District; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Cynthia T. Peterson began her volunteer service to
7 the community in 1983 when she was appointed to the Park
8 Board's Citizen's Advisory Committee, formerly known as the
9 Recreation Committee, which enabled the Park Board to enhance
10 its communications with the residents and ensure that their
11 concerns, ideas, and suggestions were thoroughly considered
12 and implemented by the Park Board and staff; and
 
13     WHEREAS, In 1985, she was elected to the Park Board of
14 Commissioners, with goals of improving the quality of life for
15 the residents of her community through establishing recreation
16 opportunities and facilities, protecting open land, acquiring
17 park space, supporting local businesses, and serving
18 minorities of the community; and
 
19     WHEREAS, In the early years the Park District
20 Administrative Office was located in a small frame building in
21 Hartmann Park, the Community Center was housed in another small
22 building in another area, and the Park District preschool

 

 

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1 classes were held in a trailer, and Cynthia T. Peterson led the
2 effort to acquire land to build a Community Center as a central
3 recreation hub; through the years, she further lobbied new
4 developers to donate land to create twenty-two neighborhood
5 parks throughout the District's property; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Cynthia T. Peterson was an advocate for teens and
7 residents with special needs, championing many programs for
8 them; she was instrumental in the planning of the Family
9 Aquatic Center, and the force behind the development of the
10 Skateboard Park; her commitment to young people was further
11 demonstrated by her involvement in the Hawthorn School District
12 PTO, serving as a voice for all parents, participation in
13 fundraising efforts, and mentoring countless young girls;
14 utilizing her excellent time management skills, she was also
15 able to advance her career in real estate, becoming an award
16 winning realtor in the Chicago area; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Cynthia T. Peterson is also an advocate for the
18 business community, insisting that all contracts for Park
19 District operations, if feasible, be awarded to local business
20 owners; she is also an active attendee at GLMV Chamber events;
21 she was also a member of the Illinois Association of Park
22 District's Boards, serving on Board Development, Finance,
23 Honors and Resolutions, Membership and Nominating Committees,
24 as well as Co-Chair of the Joint Conference, Co-Chair of the

 

 

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1 Joint Public Awareness, and the Joint Publications Committees;
2 and after six years of involvement in the IAPD Development
3 Program, she reached the top level of Master Board Member in
4 2003, which she has retained until this day; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Cynthia T. Peterson served as the first president
6 of the IPRA's Ethnic Minority Society, and continues to reach
7 out to minorities to get them involved in the Park District in
8 every capacity; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Cynthia T. Peterson has dedicated herself to the
10 residents of the Vernon Hills Park District, with the vision
11 that the Park District will continue to grow in an
12 environmentally responsible manner, providing additional play
13 space, protecting the prairies and wetlands, erecting the
14 safest play structures, and maintaining stimulating recreation
15 programs for all ages and abilities; therefore, be it
 
16     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
18 congratulate Cynthia T. Peterson on the occasion of her
19 retirement after over 25 years of service to the residents of
20 the Vernon Hills Park District; and be it further
 
21     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
22 presented to her as an expression of our deep gratitude and

 

 

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1 with best wishes for a relaxing retirement.