[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 74 (Thursday, May 26, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S3417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO LUIS TIGERA

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to 
congratulate an extraordinary Illinoisan, Luis C. Tigera. After serving 
with distinction for 26 years with the Illinois State Police, First 
Deputy Director Tigera is retiring as the highest ranking career member 
of the organization and the first Cuban American to hold such a 
position in the agency.
  Throughout his time with the Illinois State Police, First Deputy 
Director Tigera has served in a variety of positions with the 
organization. He started his career in law enforcement by patrolling 
the interstate system of the Chicago area suburbs. He worked his way up 
to overseeing the statewide guns, drugs, gangs and money laundering 
unit. Mr. Tigera also managed and regulated the operations of the 
gaming industry in Illinois. And he served as senior policy adviser to 
the Illinois State police director.
  In addition to his extensive experience in law enforcement, First 
Deputy Director Tigera was selected to attend the FBI National Academy 
in Quantico, VA, where he successfully completed executive management 
training. He also holds a masters degree in criminal justice 
administration from Lewis University.
  One of the reasons the Illinois State Police has grown and flourished 
under First Deputy Director Tigera's leadership is his commitment to 
community. He led an initiative to work collaboratively with community 
groups and others within the public safety arena. He has always 
emphasized the importance of team-building and problem-solving as he 
served as second-in-command of a full-service police agency of 3,500 
employees. In addition to his leadership in the Illinois State Police, 
First Deputy Director Tigera is a member of the Illinois Terrorism Task 
Force, the Governor's Interstate Gun Trafficking Task Force, and 
previously served as the Chairman of the Board of the Chicago High 
Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
  First Deputy Director Tigera has been married to Ana for 26 years and 
is the proud father of two sons, Luis, Jr., who has followed in his 
father's footsteps by becoming an Illinois State Police trooper, and 
Zachary.
  I would like to congratulate First Deputy Director Tigera on his 
retirement and thank him for his service to the State of Illinois.

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