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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to congratulate Richard Wilson McVinnie | ||||||
| 4 | on the occasion of his retirement from the Rockford Mass | ||||||
| 5 | Transit District (RMTD) after 43 years of service; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Richard McVinnie has lived in Rockford and Loves | ||||||
| 7 | Park his entire life; he started his career with the RMTD as a | ||||||
| 8 | mechanics helper on January
22, 1975; he has held several other | ||||||
| 9 | positions at RMTD, including mechanic,
Maintenance Manager, | ||||||
| 10 | and, for the last 25 years, Executive Director; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, During Richard McVinnie's service to the District | ||||||
| 12 | and the citizens of Rockford, he is credited with
many | ||||||
| 13 | improvements and advancements, which include the | ||||||
| 14 | implementation of night service in 1995,
incorporating | ||||||
| 15 | Winnebago County Paratransit Service into Rockford Paratransit | ||||||
| 16 | Service under the
RMTD umbrella, starting Sunday service,
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| 17 | overseeing the integration of ADA requirements into a fleet of | ||||||
| 18 | 40 fixed route vehicles, building the East
Side Transfer | ||||||
| 19 | Center, and most recently the renovation of the flagship | ||||||
| 20 | downtown Transfer Center; and
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| 21 | WHEREAS, Under Rick McVinnie's direction, RMTD has grown | ||||||
| 22 | from serving 11 routes in the city of Rockford to 18
routes | ||||||
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| 1 | encompassing much of the Northern Illinois region, including | ||||||
| 2 | Loves Park, Machesney Park, and
Belvidere; he was also | ||||||
| 3 | instrumental in the start-up of the Stateline Mass Transit | ||||||
| 4 | District in Roscoe,
Rockton, South Beloit, Rockton Township, | ||||||
| 5 | and Roscoe Township; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Richard McVinnie has served as a member of the | ||||||
| 7 | Illinois Public Transportation Association Board (IPTA) and | ||||||
| 8 | has
advocated for transit improvements throughout his career; | ||||||
| 9 | through the IPTA, he and his staff have hosted
two IPTA | ||||||
| 10 | conferences in Rockford in the last 15 years showcasing all | ||||||
| 11 | that Rockford has to offer and
bringing visitor revenue to the | ||||||
| 12 | city; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Richard McVinnie is a 1973 graduate of Harlem High | ||||||
| 14 | School; he married his high school sweetheart, Susan McVinnie, | ||||||
| 15 | in
1974 and has been happily married for 44 years; they have | ||||||
| 16 | two children, Jessica and Matthew, and five
grandchildren; | ||||||
| 17 | therefore, be it
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| 18 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 19 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
| 20 | congratulate Richard Wilson McVinnie on his retirement from the | ||||||
| 21 | Rockford Mass Transit District after 43 years of service; and | ||||||
| 22 | be it further
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| 1 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 2 | presented to Richard McVinnie and the RMTD as a symbol of our | ||||||
| 3 | respect and esteem.
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