HR1082 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1082 LRB097 21640 GRL 69939 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Katrina Marie Clark Thomas on the occasion of her retirement as principal of Lilly-Freeman Elementary School; and

WHEREAS, Katrina Thomas was born in St. Louis, Missouri and raised in East St. Louis; she is the daughter of the late Willie B. Clark and Allan "PJ" McCarty; she has one sister, Deborah Cobb, and one brother, the late Kenneth "Ricky" Williams; and

WHEREAS, Katrina Thomas attended John Robinson School, Monroe School, and Rock Jr. High School before graduating with the January 1967 class of E. St. Louis Senior High School; after high school, she earned her bachelor's degree in education from Southwest Missouri College in Springfield, Missouri in 1971; she subsequently earned her master's degree in educational administration from the University of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Katrina Thomas began her teaching career at Jefferson Elementary School (now Nelson Mandela Elementary School) in February of 1971; in 1992, she was offered the opportunity to be an exchange professor at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville in the field of education; in 1993, she resumed her teaching career at Mandela, where she remained until she was assigned to Lilly-Freeman Elementary School as an elementary principal in the summer of 1995; and

WHEREAS, Katrina Thomas has been the recipient of outstanding recognition and numerous honors; she is a Life Member in the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., a Life Member in the East St. Louis Branch of the NAACP, a board member of the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center, and treasurer of the East St. Louis Principals' Association; she is also a member of Macedonia Baptist Church; and

WHEREAS, Katrina Thomas and her loving husband, Argie H. Thomas, have been married for 35 years; and

WHEREAS, Katrina Thomas 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-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Katrina Marie Clark Thomas 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 Katrina Thomas as a symbol of our esteem and respect.