“I sympathize with the Chairman and the duties he has had to take on in this time and I pledge to him my support.
“It is interesting that the students on this Board have become better and better. Jeff and Kevin have been fantastic and they put in the time and effort. Over the last 20 years, students on this Board have worked harder and harder and have become more engaged.
“The one thing that I forgot to do was give away my prized possession, and that is the Rey Brune chair, to my friend Jerry Blakemore. Thank you.”
The Illinois Board of Higher Education, on motion made by Professor Gove and seconded by Ms. Meyer, unanimously adopted the above resolution.
Mr. Lamont said, “It is unfortunate that we are losing another member of our Board, and it is also unfortunate that he is unable to be with us today because he has some health-related issues, but I am privileged to read the resolution on behalf of Edward Duffy.”
Mr. Lamont read the following resolution:
We, the members of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, wish to express our appreciation to Edward T. Duffy, member of the Board of Higher Education from 1999 to 2003. Ed has served the Board with dedication and distinction. He has been a strong and effective leader for Illinois higher education both as a member of this board and as chairman of the Illinois Community College Board. Ed’s broad background, knowledge, and experience have been valuable assets for the citizens of Illinois for whom he has sought to expand educational opportunities, as well as for Illinois colleges and universities.
Ed’s career is one marked by exceptional public and private leadership. He has a long and distinguished record of public service as director of the Illinois Department of Public Aid, deputy chief of staff for Illinois Governor James R. Thompson, and director of the Illinois Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. In private business, he has been president of Arlington International Racecourse and its various subsidiaries and is now President and Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Motor Speedway and Chief Operating Officer of the National Jockey Club, which owns Sportsman’s Park. Whatever the career setting, his numerous accomplishments demonstrate a deep interest and commitment to public life and the welfare of the citizens of our state.
Despite the demanding duties of the chairmanship of the Illinois Community College Board, Ed has been active in many Board committees. He was co-chair of the Committee to Study Nontenure-track Faculty, and a member of the Committee on Access and Diversity, the Committee on Statewide Capital Policies and Priorities, and the Joint Education Committee. In each of these settings, Ed has shown skill and ability in addressing the extensive and diverse needs of Illinois higher education. He has played a major role in determining the policies, strategies, and direction of the state’s system of higher education, which is widely recognized as one of the best in the nation.
In all his activities, Ed can be counted on to carefully weigh and consider the evidence at hand and to provide leadership that is insightful, useful, and appropriate. Ed gets to the heart of things and chooses his words with care in a manner that is imbued with tact, diplomacy, and a sense for the occasion. Those who receive his advice know that it comes from someone whose experience and knowledge offer an uncommon depth and breadth of perspective. For all these
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