IL HR0561

Congratulates Kim Villanueva of Springfield on her election as national president of the National Organization for Women (NOW), where she will serve a four-year term until 2029

Recognizes her NOW involvement since 1987, including serving as Illinois NOW state president from 1989-1991 at age 25, making her one of the youngest state presidents in the organization's history

Highlights her role in helping elect Carol Moseley Braun as the first African American woman U.S. Senator in 1992 and organizing for the 2018 ERA ratification campaign in Illinois

Notes her nearly 40 years of professional experience, including serving as communications director for the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA)

Acknowledges her community leadership roles including founding co-chair of the Central Illinois Gay and Lesbian Task Force, president of the YWCA of Springfield, and co-founder of NOW's Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus