Bill Text: IL SR1193 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congratulates Jeff Fougerousse on his retirement from the Vernon Hills Park District. Wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-11-21 - Resolution Adopted [SR1193 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SR1193-Introduced.html

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SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to
congratulate Jeff Fougerousse on the occasion of his
retirement from the Vernon Hills Park District; and
WHEREAS, Jeff Fougerousse has dedicated over 40 years of
his life to Illinois parks and recreation, serving most
recently as executive director of the Vernon Hills Park
District since 2009; prior to that, he served as executive
director of the Morton Grove Park District from 2000 to 2009
and as superintendent of Recreation & Facilities from 1987 to
2000; and
WHEREAS, During his 15-year tenure as executive director,
Jeff Fougerousse exponentially grew the revenue of the Vernon
Hills Park District by obtaining Open Space Lands Acquisition
and Development (OSLAD), Park and Recreational Facilities
Construction (PARC), and Capital grants; under his leadership,
the Vernon Hills Park District has been recognized as an
Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) Distinguished
Agency since 2006 and has expanded to include the Lakeview
Fitness Center, the splash pad to the Turtle Creek Waterpark,
a new park maintenance facility, a new skate park, and other
features; and

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WHEREAS, Throughout his parks and recreation career, Jeff
Fougerousse has built valuable and collaborative relationships
with local, county, state, and federal elected officials,
initiated collaborations for local officials to meet regularly
to identify needs within the community, and increased the
number of successful intergovernmental agreements; and
WHEREAS, Jeff Fougerousse has belonged to a number of
professional organizations; he has been a member of the IPRA
since 1981, serving as a past chairman of the board in 1999 and
again in 2019 and on the IPRA Joint Conference Committee from
1994 to 1999, serving as chairman in 1999; in addition, he has
authored several articles for the IPRA magazine; he has
previously served as chairman of the Chicagoland Park
Directors' Association in 2001; he has also been a member of
the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) since
1986 and on the board of directors of the Maine Niles
Association of Special Recreation since 2000; and
WHEREAS, Jeff Fougerousse has worked tirelessly to advance
the parks and recreation industry while participating in a
variety of organizations, including his local YMCA, the
Mundelein & Vernon Hills Rotary Club, the Lions Club, the
Special Recreation District, the American Youth Soccer
Organization, the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life,
the National Community Solutions Association for Homeless

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Individuals, and the American Brain Tumor Association; and
WHEREAS, Jeff Fougerousse has been awarded numerous
honors, including receiving the NRPA Gold Medal in 2021 and
being named the IAPD Honored Professional of the Year in 2022;
and
WHEREAS, Jeff Fougerousse, a certified park and recreation
professional, possesses a Master of Business Administration
from Aurora University and a Bachelor of Science from Illinois
State University; and
WHEREAS, Jeff Fougerousse and his wife are current
residents of Arlington Heights; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Jeff
Fougerousse on his retirement from the Vernon Hills Park
District, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors;
and be it further