[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 27 (Thursday, February 13, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               COMMEMORATING RETIREMENT OF GARY GRZANICH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LANE EVANS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 13, 2003

  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
commemorate the retirement of one of Central Illinois' most dedicated 
public servants. For the past 28 years, my friend Gary Grzanich has 
served as the Fulton County Regional Superintendent of Schools in 
Lewistown, Illinois. An innovative administrator, Mr. Grzanich worked 
tirelessly to ensure his students an exceptional learning environment 
and unequaled educational opportunities both in school and in 
extracurricular activities.
  A Fulton County native, Mr. Grzanich graduated from Canton High 
School and received both his Bachelor's Degree and Educational 
Specialist Degree from Western Illinois University. He later attended 
Bradley University in Peoria, where he was awarded a Master's Degree. A 
teacher and coach for 11 years, Mr. Grzanich went on to work for the 
Illinois State Board of Education before running for Fulton County 
Regional Superintendent of Schools in 1974. Aided by hand-painted 
signs, he won the post and held it despite periodic electoral 
opposition until November 2002.
  Gary Grzanich's 28 years of service yielded a vast array of 
accomplishments benefitting both his students and the wider Illinois 
educational community. The Chairman of the Mid-Illini Educational 
Cooperative, he was also a member of the Illinois Association for 
Supervision and Curriculum Development (IASCD) and the Superintendents' 
Round Tables at both Bradley University and Western Illinois 
University. He established a Cooperative Testing Program in Fulton 
County schools, initiated the GED Testing Program in Fulton County, 
introduced Madeline Hunter's ``Science of Teaching'' theories to Fulton 
County teachers, and launched an Institute Day for his schools' gifted 
students. Mr. Grzanich worked to promote the fine arts through 
comprehensive arts grants, brought the substance abuse DARE program to 
Fulton County students, and initiated a county-wide policy on AIDS. In 
addition to these achievements, he also held posts in the Regional 
Superintendents' Association and the Illinois Association of School 
Administrators, and is a past member of the State Certification Board 
and the Blue Ribbon Committee for Teacher Preparation and Training.
  A lifelong Democrat, Mr. Grzanich is married to Dian and has two 
children, Susan and Jon. Fittingly, both his daughter and son grew up 
to become teachers in Central Illinois. He still lives in Canton, and 
will most likely keep himself busy hunting and fishing during 
retirement.
  On behalf of Fulton County and the rest of the 17th District, I would 
like to extend my sincerest thanks to Gary Grzanich for his many years 
of service to the youth of Illinois. His hard work and unfailing 
leadership will be sorely missed.

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