HR0880 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0880 LRB098 20454 GRL 56325 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are honored to congratulate Gordon M. Walker on the occasion of his retirement as Chief Executive Officer of Pekin Insurance in Pekin; and

WHEREAS, Gordon Walker was born on April 6, 1948; his parents are Oscar E. and Margaret Davis Walker; he married Carol J. Meints on December 1, 1973; they currently reside in Groveland; he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Jacksonville College in Jacksonville in 1970; and

WHEREAS, Gordon Walker began his career with Pekin Insurance in 1970 as an assistant bond manager in the Surety and Fidelity Bond Department; in 1972, he transferred to Indiana as a field trainee and later worked as a field manager in Effingham and Cedar Rapids, Iowa; in July of 1984, he was transferred to the Home Office to work as a property/casualty marketing coordinator; in 1985, he was promoted to Staff Management status and was named a sales manager; in January of 1998, he was promoted to vice president of sales; in 2003, he was elected senior vice president of all Pekin Insurance companies and chief operating officer of the property/casualty companies; in 2006, he was promoted to president and chief operating officer of the property/casualty companies; he has served as a member of the Board of Directors since 2005; in March of 2008, he was elected Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Pekin Insurance; and

WHEREAS, Gordon Walker retired as Chief Executive Officer of Pekin Insurance on February 11, 2014, but will remain as Chairman of the Board of Directors until February of 2015; and

WHEREAS, Gordon Walker has been a strong supporter of the insurance industry and has been actively involved with numerous insurance organizations, including the Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois and the Illinois Insurance Association; pursuing professionalism in his career, he earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter professional designation in 1995; and

WHEREAS, Gordon Walker has always held great interest in community life; he is currently serving on the Board of Directors of Herget Bank, N.A. and the Pekin Police Foundation; his private generosities and strong devotion to the St. Jude Midwest Affiliate were instrumental in the development of the Pekin Insurance Birdies for St. Jude program; in February of 2014, he began lending his energies, expertise, and talents as a member of the St. Jude Board of Directors; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Gordon M. Walker on the occasion of his retirement as Chief Executive Officer of Pekin Insurance and thank him for his nearly 43 years of dedicated service and leadership to the Pekin Insurance companies; and be it further

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