SR0029 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0029 LRB103 27404 LAW 53776 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, From a very young age, Richard "Rick" Drazner was primed for a lifelong commitment to service above self; he harnessed those skills into a 25-plus year commitment to serving the residents and businesses of the Village of Buffalo Grove; he was a dedicated public servant, a business leader, a religious leader, and a great friend to many in his community; and

WHEREAS, Rick Drazner was a true servant to his community, an unsung hero who was instrumental to the enhancement, betterment, and improvement of the Village of Buffalo Grove; he was a member of the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove for 25 years, serving as president from 2004 to 2005; as a member, he was instrumental in providing vocational scholarships for years; he also attended numerous fundraising events, district conferences, and the Rotary International Conference in Chicago in 2005; and

WHEREAS, During his public service as a commissioner of the Buffalo Grove Park District for 20 years, Rick Drazner was instrumental in the growth and development of many great parks, including Willow Stream Park, the Mike Rylko Park, and Kendrigan Field at Twin Creeks Park, which is a Buddy Baseball field; he was involved in the growth of many of the facilities, such as the fitness center, the golf dome, and the community arts center, where one of his favorite programs, Broadway Buddies, was developed; his involvement in these improvements has led the Village of Buffalo Grove to be given the perennial ranking in the top 50 best towns in the nation to live and the best Chicago suburb to raise a family; in addition to his innovative and active leadership on the park board, he attained the designation of Master Board Member by the Illinois Association of Park Districts for his outstanding service, leadership, and dedication to advancing parks, recreation, conservation, and special recreation agencies throughout Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Rick Drazner was an engaged leader in the business community for more than 25 years; he served as a member of the Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce for 25-plus years, during which he served as president, vice president, treasurer, and director; during his tenure as president, he enhanced the speaker education program, initiated innovative programs to add value to members' investment, and created an awareness initiative to highlight and promote businesses in Buffalo Grove; and

WHEREAS, Rick Drazner embraced the Buffalo Grove community as a religious leader as well; he served as president and vice president of his temple, Congregation Beth Judea, where he taught religious study courses during service; he is remembered by numerous young adults in his community for additionally serving as their camp counselor and positively impacting their lives; and

WHEREAS, Rick Drazner truly exemplified the spirit of a selfless public servant; he wanted to make the world a little better each day, and he served at the highest level so that Buffalo Grove and the world community was ameliorated through the great service that he consistently provided over the course of his life; he did all of this with an incredibly positive attitude and always with his special humor to keep people smiling; and

WHEREAS, Rick Drazner passed away on April 5, 2019, three days after being reelected to the park board of commissioners; his life of service was commemorated in Twin Creeks Park, which was later renamed the Rick Drazner Park; and

WHEREAS, Rick Drazner was a loving husband and father; most of all, he was a giver of himself and a friend to all around him, and he supported and deeply believed in service above self; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Rick Drazner and declare July 10, 2023 as Rick Drazner Day in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the family of Rick Drazner and the Village of Buffalo Grove.