Full Text of HR0544 102nd General Assembly
HR0544 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives wish to congratulate John Voit on the occasion | 4 | | of his retirement as President and CEO of UCP Seguin on | 5 | | November 11, 2021; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, John Voit has been a leader in the field of | 7 | | intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Illinois | 8 | | for over 50 years; he began his career as a Direct Support | 9 | | Professional (DSP) after leaving St. Procopius College | 10 | | (Benedictine University) in 1970 and a brief stint in the U.S. | 11 | | Army; his first job was on the front lines of providing support | 12 | | to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, John Voit spent 22 years at the Ray Graham | 14 | | Association, starting in 1972 as a floor supervisor and | 15 | | eventually serving as executive director, furthering his | 16 | | commitment for those with IDD to live integrated into their | 17 | | community and have the supports they need to realize their | 18 | | dreams of work, a place to call home, inclusion in their | 19 | | neighborhood, and opportunities to be productive, valued | 20 | | members of society; and | 21 | | WHEREAS, In 1998, John Voit became President and CEO of | 22 | | Seguin Services Inc. (UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago), an |
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| 1 | | organization that started in 1949 and incorporated in 1976 | 2 | | when a group of parents in the western suburbs of Chicago | 3 | | responded to a lack of public education and other models of | 4 | | care for persons with disabilities; he helped Seguin Services | 5 | | develop into one the largest and most respected community | 6 | | services providers to persons with IDD in Illinois; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, Under John Voit's leadership over the past 23 | 8 | | years, UCP Seguin's annual budget, now nearly $50 million, has | 9 | | tripled as he has championed expansion and increased quality | 10 | | of services to individuals with IDD; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, For his entire career and especially at UCP | 12 | | Seguin, John Voit has been successful in developing community | 13 | | integrated housing options for people with IDD, including | 14 | | those individuals transitioning from state-operated facilities | 15 | | "going home" to settings fully included in their communities, | 16 | | and has presided over the growth of residential services to | 17 | | now serve nearly 300 individuals in more than 75 homes | 18 | | scattered over 33 communities, such that UCP Seguin has become | 19 | | one of the largest and most successful providers of | 20 | | residential services in Illinois, all the while ensuring that | 21 | | each home is fully accessible and fitted with fire safety | 22 | | equipment; and | 23 | | WHEREAS, Under John Voit's command, UCP Seguin has nearly |
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| 1 | | doubled its Children's Foster Care services to children and | 2 | | adolescents with specialized medical and behavioral | 3 | | challenges, providing permanent, safe, and loving homes for | 4 | | abused and neglected children with disabilities and other | 5 | | special needs from birth to college age, while emphasizing | 6 | | community inclusion and effective transition into adult | 7 | | services; and | 8 | | WHEREAS, John Voit led UCP Seguin's efforts in the | 9 | | formation of a variety of social enterprises collectively | 10 | | entitled Seguin Enterprises, which for the past two decades | 11 | | have provided gainful employment for people with IDD while | 12 | | securing discretionary earned income to support services | 13 | | through two core businesses, Seguin Auto Center and Seguin | 14 | | Gardens & Gifts; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, With John Voit at the helm, UCP Seguin has | 16 | | responded to the growing population of seniors with IDD | 17 | | through the establishment of the innovative SeniorCares group | 18 | | home initiative and the founding of the Betty Scheck Senior | 19 | | Center Day Services program; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, Drawing from his experience with his daughter | 21 | | with IDD, John Voit led efforts to establish the Building | 22 | | Bridges to the Future transition to adulthood initiative, | 23 | | which now annually supports more than 380 special education |
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| 1 | | students and their families in accessing post-secondary | 2 | | community-inclusive service and education options; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, In 2013, John Voit presided over the merger of | 4 | | two major and widely respected nonprofits, Seguin Services and | 5 | | United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago, which have since | 6 | | become UCP Seguin, constituting a momentous step to share | 7 | | competencies, expertise, and resources while achieving greater | 8 | | operational efficiencies and reduced costs and becoming | 9 | | well-positioned to provide more and better programs and | 10 | | services to help persons with disabilities; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, Under John Voit's leadership, the newly merged | 12 | | UCP Seguin organization has grown its pioneering multi-state | 13 | | Infinitec assistive technology and training services program, | 14 | | expanding to promote opportunities for inclusion and | 15 | | independence for children and adults with disabilities through | 16 | | assistive technology, information and training, and access to | 17 | | equipment and specialists; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, Due to his belief that collaboration with peer | 19 | | organizations and respective stakeholders strengthens | 20 | | collective advocacy and offers greater opportunities for the | 21 | | services that people with IDD deserve, John Voit led the | 22 | | effort in 2017 to establish the They Deserve More (TDM) | 23 | | Coalition, which is comprised of community providers across |
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| 1 | | Illinois, statewide associations, and individual stakeholders | 2 | | and has since been successful, for the first time in over a | 3 | | decade, in improving and expanding services to people with IDD | 4 | | and stabilizing the community service system through provision | 5 | | of a living wage for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs); and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, While there have been many challenges throughout | 7 | | John Voit's many years in a leadership role, he has led UCP | 8 | | Seguin through its greatest challenge, the COVID-19 pandemic, | 9 | | successfully working to keep people with disabilities, | 10 | | employees, foster parents, and the public safe and healthy, | 11 | | taking the lead on providing testing, vaccinations, and other | 12 | | safety measures while also collaborating with peer | 13 | | organizations and public health providers; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, John Voit's vision for UCP Seguin is to forge | 15 | | boldly ahead with its mission, enabling all individuals served | 16 | | to achieve their potential, advance their independence, and | 17 | | act as full members of the community, as UCP Seguin stops at | 18 | | nothing to provide life skills training, assistive technology, | 19 | | meaningful employment, and a place to call home for people | 20 | | with disabilities, as well as specialized foster care for | 21 | | children, and helps them reach the ultimate goal of life | 22 | | without limits for people with disabilities; therefore, be it
| 23 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE |
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| 1 | | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 2 | | we congratulate John Voit on his retirement as President and | 3 | | CEO of UCP Seguin and on his transition into a new role as | 4 | | Relationship Manager and commend his commitment to the | 5 | | thousands of individuals that have benefited from his | 6 | | leadership in the IDD community provider system throughout | 7 | | Illinois and for those cared for by UCP Seguin; and be it | 8 | | further | 9 | | RESOLVED, That we thank John Voit for his lifelong | 10 | | commitment to those with disabilities, thank the staff that | 11 | | work every day to help each and every person live their best | 12 | | life with the greatest level of independence, and thank UCP | 13 | | Seguin for continuing to design and deliver quality | 14 | | outcome-based, person-centered services and supports for | 15 | | individuals who have developmental disabilities; and be it | 16 | | further
| 17 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 18 | | presented to John Voit, former President and CEO of UCP Seguin | 19 | | of Greater Chicago.
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