Bill
SR 350
Formal Senate resolution congratulates Terry Wilkerson, Rend Lake College president, on his June 30, 2025 retirement and 30+ years of leadership, in a ceremonial, nonbinding tribute with no legal effect.
Status: Resolution; Introduced March 28, 2025; Referred to Assignments (filed with Secretary May 27, 2025).
Sponsors (as provided): Kim Jackson; Elena Parent; Emanuel Jones; Harold Jones II; Tonya Anderson; Gail Davenport.
Note on source material: The version text provided appears to include two distinct ceremonial resolutions merged in the same document — one honoring Alice Mae White Bussey (Georgia) and the other congratulating Rend Lake College President Terry Wilkerson (Illinois). This summary focuses on the SR 350 text that explicitly addresses Terry Wilkerson (Illinois Senate Resolution). The merged Bussey text appears to be an unrelated honorary resolution.
Purpose and intent
- To formally congratulate Terry Wilkerson, President of Rend Lake College, on his upcoming retirement effective June 30, 2025, and to recognize his more than 30 years of service to Rend Lake College and the Illinois Community College System.
- To record and honor Wilkerson’s career achievements, leadership, and contributions to the college and broader community.
Key provisions and findings (ceremonial)
- Recites Wilkerson’s educational background:
- Associate of Applied Science, Rend Lake College (1992)
- B.S. in Plant and Soil Science, Southern Illinois University Carbondale (1994)
- M.S. in Agronomy, SIU Carbondale (1995)
- Summarizes career progression:
- Returned to Rend Lake as adjunct instructor (1995), full‑time faculty (1997), division chair, and named the college’s seventh full‑time president in April 2012.
- Highlights accomplishments during his presidency:
- Development of major facilities and initiatives: Agronomy Innovation Center; RLC Event Center; Southern Illinois Manufacturing Academy (Mt. Vernon); expansion of Banterra Sports Complex and Waugh Gymnasium; pending Allied Health Building.
- Secured “tens of millions” in grant funding and strengthened the college’s long‑term fund balance by about $20 million.
- Launched/expanded career‑technical programs, competency‑based education, microcredentials/badging, and a welding program.
- Advanced cross‑institutional collaboration (formal alliance with Southeastern Illinois College) and served in system leadership roles (e.g., chair of the Illinois Community College Council of Presidents; founder of the Illinois Community College Caucus).
- Support for leadership development and mentoring of campus leaders.
- Notes Wilkerson’s broader service and plans: participation in state trade/innovation activities, international advisory roles, and intention to return to Wilkerson Farms and agriculture after retirement.
Who/what is affected
- Primary: Terry Wilkerson (honoree) and Rend Lake College (institutional recognition).
- Secondary: Rend Lake College community, students, faculty, and the Illinois Community College System (symbolic recognition of institutional leadership and accomplishments).
- Nature of effect: purely ceremonial — this resolution expresses congratulations and appreciation; it creates no regulatory, fiscal, or programmatic mandates.
Procedural/timeline information
- Introduced/received by the Senate Secretary March 28, 2025 (per provided file dates).
- Read and adopted (dates in the record include March 6, 2025 and April 1, 2025); reported enrolled April 1, 2025; filed with Secretary May 27, 2025 and referred to Assignments May 27, 2025.
- The document concludes with a provision that a suitable copy of the resolution be presented to President Wilkerson.
Limitations and legal effect
- This is a nonbinding, ceremonial resolution intended to recognize and memorialize accomplishments; it does not change law, appropriate funds, or create new obligations.
If desired, I can:
- Extract and format the full text of the Wilkerson portion for presentation.
- Produce a separate concise summary of the Alice Mae White Bussey resolution that appears in the same document.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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