[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 26, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E126-E127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING LIZ BURNS, RECIPIENT OF THE 2010 WESTERN SPRINGS CITIZEN OF 
                             THE YEAR AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 26, 2011

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Liz Burns, who will 
receive the 2010 Western Springs, IL Citizen of the Year Award on 
January 30, 2011. A resident of Western Springs for 47 years, Mrs. 
Burns has been an invaluable asset to her community in large part due 
to her contributions to the local library system.

[[Page E127]]

  Mrs. Burns was first appointed to the board of the Thomas Ford 
Memorial Library in 1991 and solidified her status as a permanent 
fixture on the board in 1993 with an election to a four-year term. She 
served as president of the board from 1995 to 1997 and oversaw the $3.1 
million library expansion project during her tenure. In 1997, she led 
efforts to produce and implement the Library's long-range plan, 
preserving a high-quality learning environment for generations to come.
  Since the end of her term as president of the board, Mrs. Burns has 
served as a trustee at the Thomas Ford Library Foundation. She became 
chair of the Foundation's board of trustees in 2004, and has worked to 
build an endowment for the Friends of the Library's continuing 
educational programs and activities. Liz continues to serve her 
community as a volunteer reading tutor at the St. Gregory Episcopal 
School for Boys.
  Born and raised in Charleston, IL and the youngest of six children, 
Mrs. Burns attended the University of Illinois, Urbana where she earned 
a degree in English. She taught English and Journalism at Riverside-
Brookfield High School before starting her family. She later became 
licensed as a Certified Financial Planner and went to work at the 
Western Springs Federal Credit Union. Mrs. Burns moved on to Merrill 
Lynch in 1987 then to Charles Schwab in 1991 where she worked as a 
securities specialist until her retirement in 2002.
  I ask you to join me in honoring Mrs. Liz Burns on her selection as a 
2010 Western Springs Citizen of the Year, and may she continue to enjoy 
educating through her work as a tutor and a trustee of Thomas Ford 
Memorial Library.

                          ____________________