Full Text of HR0016 99th General Assembly
HR0016 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives are saddened to learn of the passing of a | 4 | | respected former State employee, Francis N. "Frank" Kopel, on | 5 | | November 30, 2014; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Francis Kopel was born on May 28, 1949 in Moline; | 7 | | and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Francis Kopel graduated from United Township High | 9 | | School in 1967; he subsequently studied Political Science at | 10 | | Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, where he earned his | 11 | | Bachelor of Arts degree in Government in 1971 and Master of | 12 | | Arts degree in Political Science with a concentration in | 13 | | International Law in 1976; he later continued his formal | 14 | | education at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, | 15 | | earning a Master of Arts degree in Urban Politics in 1978 and | 16 | | completing Ph.D. coursework related to municipal finance; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, Francis Kopel began his public service as a | 18 | | caseworker with the Cook County Department of Public Aid in | 19 | | Chicago in 1972; in 1979, he began working as a research | 20 | | analyst for the United States House of Representatives' | 21 | | Committee on House Administration in Washington, D.C.; later | 22 | | that year, he began his long career with the Illinois |
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| 1 | | Department of Public Aid (now the Illinois Department of | 2 | | Healthcare and Family Services) as an Assistant Manager of the | 3 | | Bureau of Planning and Evaluation; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, Over the years, Francis Kopel took on added | 5 | | responsibility in the Department of Public Aid's Divisions of | 6 | | Medical Programs and Finance; he was selected to be Deputy | 7 | | Administrator of Medical Programs in 2009 and Administrator of | 8 | | the Division of Finance in 2011; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Francis Kopel's tenure at the Department spanned | 10 | | the administrations of several Governors, including Daniel | 11 | | Walker, James Thompson, Jim Edgar, George Ryan, Rod | 12 | | Blagojevich, and Pat Quinn, as well as many agency Directors, | 13 | | including Jeffrey C. Miller, Carl Mankowicz, Gregory Coler, | 14 | | Michael Taylor, Edward Duffy, Kathleen Briedert-Kustra, Susan | 15 | | Suter, Phillip Bradley, Robert W. Wright, Linda Renee Baker, | 16 | | Joan Walters, Theron Aslaksen, Ann Patla, Jackie Garner, A. | 17 | | George Hovanec, Barry S. Maram, and Julie Hamos; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, Francis Kopel assisted in the development and | 19 | | implementation of major welfare reform initiatives, including | 20 | | the landmark 2012 Save Medicaid Access and Resources Together | 21 | | Act and nursing home and hospital reimbursement methodologies | 22 | | that were critical to Illinois being able to provide services | 23 | | efficiently and effectively to millions of children, adults, |
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| 1 | | seniors, and persons with disabilities; he also aided in the | 2 | | development of provider assessment programs that have brought | 3 | | additional billions of dollars and additional resources for the | 4 | | State's Medicaid Program; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Francis Kopel was a Bureau Chief responsible for | 6 | | reimbursement and analysis for many years; he taught and | 7 | | mentored many employees in federal financing, local government | 8 | | Medicaid financing, intergovernmental agreements, rate | 9 | | methodologies, and other intricacies of the Medicaid program; | 10 | | and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, Francis Kopel will be remembered by his colleagues | 12 | | at the Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services and | 13 | | within the administrations of many Governors as an intelligent, | 14 | | caring, skillful, and thoughtful analyst, administrator, | 15 | | supervisor, and friend whose input was always valued; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, Francis Kopel's colleagues report that one of his | 17 | | greatest strengths was his ability to make sense of computer | 18 | | systems that were used for eligibility determination and | 19 | | benefits processing, to the extent that he could understand | 20 | | those systems and write the computer programs that made it | 21 | | possible for him to independently retrieve data from the | 22 | | systems quickly and provide top agency administrators more | 23 | | immediate access to data they needed for program and policy |
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| 1 | | planning; he could then pass on that knowledge and skill to | 2 | | other employees and colleagues; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, Francis Kopel loved a challenge to think | 4 | | creatively and take on big problems, including a 1987 original | 5 | | proposal for comprehensive national welfare reform; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Francis Kopel's creativity, ability, and | 7 | | dedication to public service also contributed to his effective | 8 | | consultation and collaboration with others outside of the | 9 | | Department, including social and medical service organizations | 10 | | and the Illinois General Assembly; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, Upon his retirement on December 31, 2012, Francis | 12 | | Kopel's record of public service and accomplishments were | 13 | | recognized by Governor Pat Quinn in a special Proclamation | 14 | | issued on December 13, 2012; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Francis Kopel was preceded in death by his father, | 16 | | Francis Kopel, and his father-in-law, Ralph Voigts; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, Francis Kopel is survived by his wife, Carolyn | 18 | | Cochran-Kopel; his mother, Margaret (nee Adamson) Kopel; 3 | 19 | | children, Kendra (William "BJ") Jahn, Kelly (Michael) Cohlman, | 20 | | and Jason (Laura) Cochran; 6 grandchildren, Jordy, Charles, | 21 | | Ruth, Matthew, Kyle, and Maxwell; 3 siblings, Edward (Martina) |
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| 1 | | Kopel, Karen (Dan) Bystrom, and Rick Kopel; his mother-in-law, | 2 | | Louise Voigts; his in-laws, Greg Voigts, Jeff (Karen) Voigts, | 3 | | Sherry (Brian) Friedman, and Lisa Leonard; 13 nieces and | 4 | | nephews, Christina (Seth) Kopel, Ryan (Debbie) Hageman, Aaron | 5 | | (Kristen) Kopel, Ben (Nicole) Kopel, Sara Samolitis, Zelig | 6 | | Kopel, Tiffany (Jerry) Sullivan, Brittany (Korey) Lyons, | 7 | | Trevor (Laura) Leonard, Ryan (Alicia) Voigts, Adam Voigts, and | 8 | | Lindsay and Alex Friedman; and his many great-nieces, | 9 | | great-nephews, friends, neighbors, and colleagues; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, Francis Kopel will also be remembered as a devoted | 11 | | and kind husband who traveled the world with his beloved wife, | 12 | | as a caring father who could answer any question, a playful and | 13 | | loving grandfather, a wonderful son, brother, and friend, and | 14 | | the attentive caretaker of Squeaky the cat and countless | 15 | | backyard birds and squirrels; his presence will be felt when we | 16 | | see an Indiana Jones hat, smell fresh coffee, tend our gardens, | 17 | | hear a dry yet witty joke, or pass by Washington Park, where he | 18 | | and his wife were married 25 years ago; he will be deeply | 19 | | missed by all who were fortunate to have known and loved him; | 20 | | therefore, be it
| 21 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 22 | | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 23 | | we, along with his family and friends, honor and mourn the | 24 | | passing of Francis N. "Frank" Kopel; and be it further
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 2 | | presented to the family of Frank Kopel as a symbol of our deep | 3 | | appreciation of his service to the State of Illinois and our | 4 | | sympathy for his passing.
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