Recognizing A Dedicated Public Servant: David Lecik

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished career of David Lecik. After 37 years of dedicated service in state government, 12 of which were spent working with the Illinois Department on Aging's Senior Health Insurance Program, Mr. Lecik will be retiring as Education Specialist and technical expert on Medicare and Medicaid, and he will be missed by many.

Mr. Lecik served in the U.S. Air Force for 12 years while married to his wife Sheila and raising three children, Stephen, Dan, and Rosemary. His armed forces career started as a dental assistant, and he later retrained in computer operations. He was stationed in Maryland, Southern Illinois, and Athens, Greece and rose to the rank of Master Sergeant.

After the Air Force, Mr. Lecik worked for Victor J. Andrew High School in Tinley Park while earning a bachelor's degree in psychology at Governors State University. In 1997 he was hired by the State of Illinois at the Department of Human Services (DHS) and worked as a Human Service Caseworker and Staff Development Specialist. The work at DHS laid the foundation for his incredible ability to teach advocates and counselors on Medicare and the many benefits that are offered to Illinois citizens.

Mr. Lecik joined The Senior Health Insurance Program-SHIP in 2012 and mastered the Medicare program. David's dedication to serving older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers across the State of Illinois is remarkable. His passion to ensure access to quality healthcare for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries has been at the forefront of his career. He shared his knowledge and talents with the 1,000 SHIP counselors who work with both Medicare and Medicaid programs to assist eligible beneficiaries with lifesaving programs and benefits. He re-wrote the training manual for SHIP and restructured charts and desk aids that summarized difficult subjects for optimal understanding.

His ability to explain the medical programs for seniors and the technical support he has given to hundreds of SHIP counselors is exceptional as he has championed high quality education and advocacy within in the SHIP program. Mr. Lecik has not only supported Medicare recipients by providing counseling to ensure they retain and navigate their health care benefits but has also been a pillar of support for Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) counselors and professionals throughout the State by helping them navigate the complex Medicare and Medicaid systems. He has provided countless older adults and professionals with the information needed to make informed decisions about their benefits and championed for the most vulnerable and limited income beneficiaries to ensure they have quality health coverage.

Mr. Lecik has presented to numerous audiences such as retirement groups (City of Chicago, Cook County Courts system, and AFSCME), case managers, caseworkers, and advocates from every area of the state. During his career at SHIP and has attended and spoken at national conferences, the Age + Action conference, and has worked with legislators to bring Medicare/Medicaid education to beneficiaries in many local areas of the state. He has worked closely with Social Security outreach staff, liaisons with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the state agency--Healthcare and Family Services. Dave is known throughout the country for his knowledge and expertise with SHIP. He never steers away from a challenge, and he sticks with an issue until it is solved to a successful end.

On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I thank David Lecik for all the work he has done for the citizens of Illinois. We are so grateful for his invaluable service and wish him the best of everything in his future endeavors.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source