Congratulating Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey on Her Retirement

Floor Speech

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Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Dr. Sheila Quirk- Bailey, President of Illinois Central College, for her outstanding leadership and over three decades of dedicated service to higher education. Since becoming president in 2016, Dr. Quirk-Bailey has guided Illinois Central College through a period of significant progress focused on student success, equity, and workforce development.

Under her leadership, Illinois Central College achieved five consecutive semesters of enrollment growth, improved graduation and retention rates, and reduced developmental education placements by sixty-six percent while maintaining strong student outcomes. Dr. Quirk- Bailey led the creation of nationally recognized workforce programs including the Workforce Empowerment Initiative, the Information Technology Workforce Accelerator, and the first prison education program in the Nation funded by federal Pell grants. The Workforce Empowerment Initiative alone has helped lift more than 1,200 individuals out of poverty, with participants seeing an average increase of nearly thirty-three thousand dollars in yearly earnings.

Dr. Quirk-Bailey also laid a strong foundation for ICC's next decade of growth. Through the College's strategic plan, she advanced a year- round eight-week scheduling process, expanded micro and stackable credential pathways, supported the development of boot camps and competency-based education models, and guided the implementation of a new enterprise resource planning platform to modernize operations and meet future workforce demands.

Central Illinois is fortunate to have had a leader whose vision, professionalism, and dedication to expanding educational opportunity, have strengthened our region for many years. Dr. Quirk-Bailey's unwavering commitment to student success and workforce advancement is truly inspiring, and her retirement marks the closure of a remarkable career devoted to improving lives through education. I am honored to recognize her for her extraordinary service and congratulate her on her well-earned retirement. I wish Dr. Quirk-Bailey and her loved ones the very best in the years ahead.

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