HR0214 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0214 LRB096 12090 GRL 24367 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Catherine J. Melchert on the occasion of her retirement as Village President of the Village of Bartlett; and

WHEREAS, Catherine Melchert earned a degree from Dominican University and performed some graduate work at Loyola University in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Catherine Melchert has had a long and distinguished career with the Village of Bartlett; in 1982, she was appointed to serve as a village trustee; she was later elected to a two year term in 1983; she served as a trustee until 1993, when she was elected Village President of Bartlett; she served as Village President until her retirement in 2009; and

WHEREAS, During her tenure as Village President, Catherine Melchert has led the Village of Bartlett through numerous public initiatives; she was the leader of an 18-year battle against the balefill, a battle that ended up in the Supreme Court and secured the land targeted for a garbage dump to be used for open space; she has set high standards for organizational professionalism, with Bartlett's police department achieving CALEA accreditation in 2000; she fostered the growth of cultural arts in the community and the creation of a local arts organization; she insured that the village's service levels and planning practices kept pace with the dramatic growth in population and housing that the village experienced during her tenure; in addition, her commitment to holding high development standards led to the development of great industrial growth in the village, seen in the 670-acre Brewster Creek Business Park, the Bluff City Industrial Park, and the Blue Heron Business Park; and

WHEREAS, In her capacity as Village President, Catherine Melchert is a member of the Northwest Municipal Conference, the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors; as a member of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, she serves on the Education Funding Task Force; she is a member of the Criminal Justice Committee and the Cultural Arts Committee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors; she also serves on the Board of the Illinois Municipal League; and

WHEREAS, Catherine Melchert has been a resident of Bartlett since 1970; she has lived in Bartlett with her husband, Philip, for 35 years, where they raised two daughters; and

WHEREAS, Catherine Melchert has served as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of Village of Bartlett and 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 Catherine J. Melchert on the occasion of her retirement and wish her many happy and healthy retirement years; and be it further

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