HR1311 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1311 LRB093 24249 HSS 54529 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois are pleased to congratulate Senator Carole Pankau as she leaves her seat in the House to serve the citizens of Illinois in the State Senate; and

WHEREAS, Born on August 13, 1947, in Valparaiso, Indiana, she has been married to Anthony John Pankau, Jr. for 37 years and is the mother of four grown children: John, Jason, Shay, and Aaron; she has been a resident of Roselle for 27 years and is a member of St. Walter Roman Catholic Church; and

WHEREAS, She was an honors graduate of the University of Illinois in 1981 and holds a bachelor of science in accounting; she has held several elected positions, including serving as a DuPage County Board Member for 8 years, a Keeneyville School District #20 Board Member for 8 years, a Bloomingdale Township Republican Organization Precinct #51 Committeeman for 18 years, and as a State Representative for 11 years; and

WHEREAS, During her tenure in the House of Representatives, Senator Pankau worked for change; in 1995, she led efforts to remove the Employer Trip Reduction (ETR) mandate from the Chicago severe non-attainment ozone area; she sponsored several transportation initiatives, and the highlights include legislation in response to a tragic 1995 bus/train crash in Fox River Grove, known as the "cop-in-a-box" initiative; a Task Force to examine a graduated license system; legislation to permit bikes on Metra trains with an extra fee; legislation regarding use of airport appropriation funds; and the creation of the Stop Neuroblastoma license plate and special fund, with money going to neuroblastoma and cancer research, education, screening, and treatment; other license plate initiatives she sponsored include the issuing of Pearl Harbor license plates to widowed spouses of an Illinois resident who participated in the Battle at Pearl Harbor and no additional original issuance fee for Bronze Star and Silver Star license plates; and

WHEREAS, She was the chief sponsor of legislation benefiting library districts, employer sponsored daycare, and citizen review panels for the Department of Children and Family Services, bringing the State into compliance with the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act; she helped to create the Real Estate Appraiser Licensing Act of 2002, which corrected a number of inconsistencies in State law that could have led to Illinois losing its accreditation as a certified State appraisal licensing program; and

WHEREAS, During her tenure in the House, Senator Pankau served on several committees; she most recently served as Republican Spokesman of the Executive Committee and on the Gaming, Insurance, and Revenue Committees; and

WHEREAS, Senator Pankau is the former owner-manager of an auto body/towing business, which she owned for 17 years; she has been a member of the Chambers of Commerce in Bartlett, Bloomingdale, Hanover Park, and Roselle; the Bloomingdale Republican Women's Club; the Illinois Federation of Republican Women; the National Order of Women Legislators; Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority at Purdue University; and the Business Advisory Board of First Suburban National Bank; and

WHEREAS, She has been active in her community, serving as a Past President of the Bloomingdale Township Volunteer Council, as a DuPage County Health Board Member for 4 years, as a DuPage Housing Authority member for 4 years, and she has been the hostess of "In Focus", a cable TV program for the past 12 years; and

WHEREAS, Senator Pankau has been the recipient of several awards, including the "Champion of Local Government" Award given by Suburban Mayors Action Coalition; the "Voice of Employers" Award given by The Management Association of Illinois; a 100% rating from the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce; the "Friend of the Family" Award for her pro-family voting record in the 1997 session; the Friend of Agriculture Activator Award in 1994, 1995, and 1996; and she was recognized by the Illinois Federation for Right to Life, Inc. in 1995; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Senator Carole Pankau on her new position in the Senate, and we wish her well in her service in that esteemed chamber; and be it further

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