[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7610]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL ``MICKEY'' GORAL

  Mr. DURBIN. Today, Mr. President, I want to honor my friend Michael 
``Mickey'' Goral. For nearly four decades, Mickey has held elected 
office in Rockford, the county seat of Winnebago County, IL. I have had 
the pleasure of knowing and working with him to serve Rockford and 
Winnebago County for many years.
  A lifelong resident of Rockford, Mickey Goral grew up on Rockford's 
west end graduated from Boyland High School and Northern Illinois 
University with a B.A. in political science. He served on the county 
board for 18 years before being elected Rockford township supervisor 
and has held that post for 20 years.
  At 63 years young, Mickey decided not to seek reelection, but refuses 
to use the word ``retirement.'' He said: I hesitate to use the `R' word 
because I don't play golf, I don't fish, and I have no other hobbies.'' 
Public service is all that is in Mickey's blood.
  Oftentimes, public service becomes about accolades--not for Mickey. 
He simply aimed to make a difference in people's lives. Overseeing a 
$1.6 million general assistance office, Mickey led a nine-person team 
responsible for providing assistance to the communities most 
vulnerable: those with no other source of income. His mission was 
always clear and simple: treat all people with respect, dignity, and 
compassion in providing basic human needs to families while they are on 
the road to self-sufficiency, and that is what he did. Mickey's years 
of service to the people of Rockford show that public service can make 
a real difference in people's lives. Following the great recession of 
2008, his general assistant office dealt with more than 150 open cases 
every month. Today, that number in a typical month is cut in half. That 
is the king of progress Mickey delivered for real working folks in 
Rockford.
  Mickey Goral also had the privilege of serving as the president of 
the Township Officials of Illinois, bringing professionalism and 
training for township governments throughout my home State of Illinois, 
but for all his accomplishments, Mickey was most proud to the Rockford 
township supervisor because his government role was one that was 
closest to the people, which meant he had the opportunity to help his 
friends and neighbors. We need more people like Mickey Goral.
  I especially want to thank Mickey's wife, Tami, and twin daughters, 
Karley and Kiley, for sharing so much of their husband and father with 
the community. I am honored to congratulate him on a job well done and 
wish him and his family all the best in the next chapter of their 
lives.

                          ____________________