[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13865]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         RECOGNIZING RYAN DOWD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BILL FOSTER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 18, 2013

  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to 
recognize Ryan Dowd, a native of Oswego, Illinois who has devoted more 
than half of his life to serving Aurora's homeless.
  After 14 years of service, Friday, September 20th will be Ryan's last 
day serving as the executive director of Hesed House, the second 
largest shelter in the State of Illinois, and the largest shelter 
outside of the city of Chicago. Under his leadership, Hesed House 
ministries have tripled in effectiveness, housing more than 1,000 
individuals annually.
  Ryan began volunteering at Hesed House when he was just 13 years old 
and started working at the shelter during college. Upon graduating from 
Northern Illinois University's College of Law in 2003 with a dual JD 
and MPA degree, Ryan accepted a position as the associate director of 
Hesed House and would eventually become executive director in 2004.
  I am humbled by Ryan's commitment to serve our community. While 
Ryan's work in Aurora is sadly coming to an end, I know he will 
continue to serve his fellow man and make the world a better place as 
he begins a career in international human rights.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ryan Dowd 
and his service to the community. His tireless commitment and 
dedication will be missed, and I wish him and his family the best of 
luck in all of their future endeavors.

                          ____________________