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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April
24, 2002
State Board of Education Presents
Top Award to Maitland
The
State Board of Education has designated one of its highest
awards for outstanding service to education to Senator John
W. Maitland Jr. of Bloomington.
State
Superintendent of Education Respicio Vazquez presented the
Lou Mervis Award for Distinguished Service to Education to
Maitland at Wednesday's session of the Senate Education Committee.
"Senator
Maitland is a true statesman, placing the welfare of others
- especially school children - at the top of his agenda,"
said Vazquez. "Millions of students will have better
lives because of his strong advocacy for schools.
"He
has taken a leadership role in every major effort to improve
education in the last two decades, including the education
reform acts of 1985, the Illinois Task Force on School Finance
in 1993 and the Governor's Commission on Education Funding
in 1996. Senator Maitland has been particularly outspoken
about the need for funding equity, but there is literally
no aspect of education that has not benefited from his leadership
and support."
"The
state is a better place because of John Maitland's untiring
service to the citizens of Illinois, and we at the State Board
of Education are especially grateful for his advice and support
throughout his exemplary career in public service." Vazquez
said.
The
Lou Mervis Award for Distinguished Service to Education is
named for the Danville businessman who served three terms
as chair of the State Board of Education and made extraordinary
commitments to education, both locally and at the state level.
The award is given annually by the State Board to individuals
who have made similar, extraordinary commitments to education.
Previous
recipients of the award include State Farm Insurance CEO Ed
Rust, who chaired the Illinois Business Roundtable and the
national Business Roundtable's Education Committee, and former
State Senator Arthur Berman.
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