Congratulating the Honorable James Knecht, Illinois' Fourth District Appellate Court Justice

Floor Speech

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Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate Illinois' Fourth District Appellate Court Justice James ``Jim'' Knecht as he reaches the milestone of serving 50 years as a judge.

Jim was born in Lincoln, Illinois, and earned his juris doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1973.

In 1975, Jim began his judicial career serving as an associate circuit judge and was soon after promoted to circuit judge. In 1986, Judge Knecht was elected to the Illinois Fourth District Appellate Court. He is currently the longest serving judge in Illinois court history and an accredited leader within our Illinois legal community.

Outside of the courtroom, Judge Knecht is heavily involved in communities across Illinois and with his alma maters. He serves on both the Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council and on the National Advisory Board of the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence.

At his undergraduate alma mater, Illinois State University, Judge Knecht was an adjunct professor for nearly three decades and is a recipient of their Distinguished Alumni Award.

Again, I congratulate Judge Knecht on this momentous achievement in his legal career and thank him for his continued service to the State of Illinois. I wish Judge Knecht, his wife, Ruth, their children and grandchildren all the best in the future.

I congratulate Judge Knecht. Recognizing James Collins, President of Loras College

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Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jim Collins for his extraordinary 20-year tenure as president of Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. As the longest serving president in the school's history, Jim has left a lasting impact on Iowa's oldest institution of higher education.

President Collins earned his bachelor of science degree in finance from Loras College in 1984. After graduation, he began as an admissions representative and advanced through various leadership positions before being selected as president in 2004 at the age of 42.

During President Collins' tenure at Loras College, the institution achieved unprecedented growth. He oversaw actions to raise the endowment by 67 percent to support students, expanded graduate and professional programs, spearheaded the completion of multiple campus renovations, and led the college to consistent recognition by U.S. News as a top 15 Midwest baccalaureate institution.

President Collins' visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to Catholic higher education has impacted thousands of students who attended and graduated from Loras College.

I congratulate Jim, his lovely wife, Lisa, and their children and grandchildren on this remarkable career. I thank him for his decades of service to Loras College and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.

Go Duhawks.

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