Bill Text: IL HR1067 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Congratulates Executive Director John Buckner on his retirement from the Special Recreation Association of Central Lake County (SRACLC). Thanks him for his extraordinary leadership and unwavering dedication. Wishes him a healthy, happy, and well-deserved retirement.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2026-10-29 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Laura Faver Dias [HR1067 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2025-HR1067-Introduced.html
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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to congratulate Executive Director John | ||||||
| 4 | Buckner on the occasion of his retirement from the Special | ||||||
| 5 | Recreation Association of Central Lake County (SRACLC); and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, John Buckner earned his degree in therapeutic | ||||||
| 7 | recreation from the University of Iowa and began his career in | ||||||
| 8 | 1985; he became the director of SRACLC on November 1, 1990, | ||||||
| 9 | when the association operated from two rooms in the basement | ||||||
| 10 | of the former Lincoln School in Mundelein, employing just | ||||||
| 11 | three staff members and serving three member agencies; and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, Under John Buckner's leadership, SRACLC has grown | ||||||
| 13 | into one of the premier special recreation associations in | ||||||
| 14 | Illinois, expanding to eight member agencies and significantly | ||||||
| 15 | increasing programs, services, partnerships, and community | ||||||
| 16 | impact; he has championed the development of many signature | ||||||
| 17 | programs, including Active Adult, Counselor in Training, | ||||||
| 18 | Birdie Buddies, Teens in Action, Show Stoppers, and We Serve; | ||||||
| 19 | he established the SRACLC Foundation in 2001, creating new | ||||||
| 20 | opportunities to support participants through fundraising and | ||||||
| 21 | community partnerships; and | ||||||
| 22 | WHEREAS, Throughout John Buckner's career, he has secured | ||||||
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| 1 | numerous grants and funding partnerships, advocated for | ||||||
| 2 | legislative initiatives benefiting special recreation agencies | ||||||
| 3 | statewide, and served in leadership positions with a variety | ||||||
| 4 | of professional organizations, including the Illinois | ||||||
| 5 | Therapeutic Recreation Section (ITRS), Illinois Park and | ||||||
| 6 | Recreation Association (IPRA), and Park District Risk | ||||||
| 7 | Management Agency (PDRMA); and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, John Buckner has earned numerous types of State | ||||||
| 9 | recognition, including the ITRS Distinguished Service and | ||||||
| 10 | Professional of the Year Awards; under his guidance, SRACLC | ||||||
| 11 | received both national and State awards, including the | ||||||
| 12 | National Gold Medal Award and multiple IPRA Outstanding | ||||||
| 13 | Program and Special Event Awards; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, John Buckner has guided SRACLC through | ||||||
| 15 | significant challenges, including rebuilding after a | ||||||
| 16 | devastating office fire and navigating major organizational | ||||||
| 17 | changes, and has always led with resilience, integrity, and a | ||||||
| 18 | steadfast commitment to participants and families; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, John Buckner's legacy lies in the thousands of | ||||||
| 20 | individuals with disabilities whose lives have been enriched | ||||||
| 21 | through the programs, opportunities, and inclusive communities | ||||||
| 22 | he helped to create throughout his 40-year career in | ||||||
| 23 | therapeutic recreation, including his 36 years as executive | ||||||
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| 1 | director of SRACLC; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 2 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 3 | HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 4 | we congratulate Executive Director John Buckner on his | ||||||
| 5 | retirement from the Special Recreation Association of Central | ||||||
| 6 | Lake County (SRACLC), thank him for his extraordinary | ||||||
| 7 | leadership and unwavering dedication, and wish him a healthy, | ||||||
| 8 | happy, and well-deserved retirement; and be it further | ||||||
| 9 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 10 | presented to John Buckner as a symbol of our respect and | ||||||
| 11 | esteem. | ||||||
