[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 7850-7851]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


       HONORING JOSEPH STRZELCZYK, THE MAYOR OF SUMMIT, ILLINOIS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 26, 2015

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Joseph Strzelczyk, 
the Mayor of Summit, Illinois who passed away on May 17, 2015 at the 
age of 75. Commonly known as ``Mayor Joe'' to residents of Summit, Joe 
Strzelczyk was recognized for his tremendous dedication to his town and 
its residents.
  Mayor Strzelczyk began his career in public service in 1978 when he 
worked as a special

[[Page 7851]]

recreation instructor for the Chicago Park District. In 1990, he was 
elected as a Village Trustee in Summit, a position which he held until 
he was elected mayor.
  Joe Strzelczyk was originally elected mayor in 1997 and won 
reelection four times. Over almost two decades as mayor, he focused on 
improving and revitalizing Summit through grassroots efforts along with 
attracting businesses and revenue to the city. Mayor Strzelczyk played 
a vital role in ensuring a revenue sharing agreement with the Rivers 
Casino in Des Plaines which brought in more than $604,000 to Summit in 
the first year alone. Mayor Strzelczyk was also active in organizing 
village cleanups.
  Mayor Strzelczyk's love of his community stretched into all facets of 
his life. An avid softball player, he coached in the North American Pro 
Softball League and later hosted a local cable TV show in addition to 
being a sports commentator on radio. In 2012, he was inducted into the 
Chicago 16 Inch Softball Hall of Fame.
  Today I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mayor Joseph 
Strzelczyk. A truly dedicated public servant, Joe Strzelczyk made 
Summit a great place to live. His leadership and dedication to his 
community was unparalleled and will truly be missed.

                          ____________________