HR1032 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1032 LRB096 21636 GRL 39022 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Mike Rylko on the occasion of his retirement as Executive Director of the Buffalo Grove Park District; and

WHEREAS, Mike Rylko attended Eastern Illinois University from 1969 to 1973, when he earned his bachelor's degree in recreation administration; he earned his master's degree in Public Administration from Northern Illinois University in 1988; and

WHEREAS, Mike Rylko has had a long and distinguished career in park administration since May of 1973; prior to his service as Executive Director of the Buffalo Grove Park District, he served as Director of Parks and Recreation at the Streamwood Park District for 8 years; he also served as Superintendent of Recreation in Streamwood and Buffalo Grove; and

WHEREAS, Mike Rylko has served as the Executive Director of the Buffalo Grove Park District for the past 26 years; during his tenure as Executive Director, the District has grown from a 120-acre area with 10 park sites to a 419-acre area with 50 sites; the District's staff has also grown from 11 employees to 54 full-time employees and over 750 part-time and seasonal staff that serve a population of over 44,500; and

WHEREAS, As Executive Director, Mike Rylko oversaw the construction and operation of a 78,000-foot Fitness Center and a Golf and Sports Center; he was responsible for the acquisition of over 106 acres of land and over $5 million in park development and bikeway grants; he was also responsible for the purchase and renovation of a school building, the renovation and expansion of the Raupp Memorial Museum, and the renovation of an indoor and outdoor pool, and the construction of a Spray 'N Play water park; and

WHEREAS, Under Mike Rylko's direction, the Buffalo Grove Park District earned Distinguished Park and Recreation Agency status in 1996, 2002, and 2008 and was a National Park and Recreation Gold Medal Finalist in 2009; and

WHEREAS, Mike Rylko has been an active member of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association and the National Park and Recreation Association for over 37 years; he served as President of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association in 1997; and

WHEREAS, Mike Rylko has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades during his career, including the IPRA 1994 Professional of the Year Award, the President's Award of Outstanding Service in 1983, 1994, and 2000, and the IPRA Robert Artz Distinguished Service Award in 1999; he was honored as Rotarian of the Year in 1991 and 2004; he also received the Bill Reid Community Service Award in 2007; and

WHEREAS, Of his many accomplishments, Mike Rylko is most proud of the Bill Reid Community Service Award, the Robert Artz Distinguished Service Award, and the development of Willow Stream Park; and

WHEREAS, Mike Rylko serves as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Mike Rylko on the occasion of his retirement and wish him many happy and healthy retirement years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mike Rylko as a symbol of our esteem and respect.