Bill Text: IL HR0869 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congratulates Dr. Serena L. Preston on her retirement as educator and superintendent of the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-01-08 - Resolution Adopted [HR0869 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-HR0869-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives wish to congratulate Dr. Serena L. Preston,
educator and superintendent of the Illinois School for the
Visually Impaired, on the occasion of her retirement on June
30, 2020; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Preston is an admired educator and
administrator; for more than 20 years, she has tirelessly
advocated for students who are blind or visually impaired; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Preston is a native of Independence, Missouri
and a graduate of William Chrisman High School; she left the
Kansas City area to attend MacMurray College, a private school
in Jacksonville, where she received her bachelor's degree
before embarking on a remarkable career in education; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Preston graduated from Illinois State
University in Bloomington with a master's degree in Special
Education and a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Preston has devoted more than 20 years of
service to the students of the Illinois School for the Visually
Impaired; she has served in many roles, working with students

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as a classroom educator, as school principal, and currently, as
school superintendent; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Preston served as an interim superintendent of
the Illinois School for the Deaf for two years while
concurrently serving as the superintendent of the Illinois
School for the Visually Impaired; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Preston is a longtime member of the
Association of Educators and Rehabilitation Specialists for
the Blind (AER); she also serves with the Council of Schools
for the Blind (COSB), the Illinois Principals Association, the
Advisory Council of the Illinois State University College of
Special Education, and many other state and local committees in
an effort to advocate for students who are blind or visually
impaired and guide best practices across the field; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Preston is active at the national level,
serving as an American Printing House for the Blind Ex-Officio
Trustee, collaborating closely with other professionals in the
field to be certain products and services support maximum
learning and accessibility, as this important work impacts the
lives of many persons with a visual impairment; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Preston has been an active member of the local
community, serving as vice-chair of the Jacksonville Area

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Transition Planning Council, as 4-H Project Leader, and 4-H
County Fair Show Superintendent; she has served on Illinois
State Fair 4-H committees and as a show volunteer; she was
coordinator of the annual Youth Camp Fund and a member/director
of community theater and music productions; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Preston has been a tireless advocate for
children and educators for over 32 years, creating positive and
lasting changes for the Illinois School for the Visually
Impaired; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we congratulate Dr. Serena L. Preston on her retirement as
educator and superintendent of the Illinois School for the
Visually Impaired, and we commend her work and wish her the
best in all her future endeavors; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to Dr. Preston as an expression of our admiration and
gratitude for her commitment to the youth and educators of
Illinois.