Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20540-4015 
202-707-6998
www.lincolnbicentennial.gov

JULIE CELLINI NAMED TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION

WASHINGTON – Julie Cellini, chairman of the board of trustees of the Illinois State Historic Preservation Agency and secretary of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, has been appointed by President Bush to serve on the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

The White House announced the appointment February 9.  She was recommended to the president by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.

“I'm looking forward to working with the other Commissioners on the Bicentennial and sharing the knowledge gained from Illinois' experience building the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum,” Ms. Cellini said.  “I'm grateful to President George Bush and Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich for the confidence they have placed in me.”

The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission was created by Congress to plan a “fitting and proper” national celebration of the 16th president’s 200th birthday in 2009.  Its members, who are appointed by the president and congressional leaders, include political leaders, jurists, historians, and collectors.  The ALBC aims to renew Americans’ appreciation of Lincoln’s ideals of freedom, democracy and equal opportunity, and to encourage all people to live that legacy.

Ms. Cellini was a driving force in the creation and development of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, a $150 million project that includes a research library, a history museum, a restored train station, and an urban park in Springfield's downtown historic district.  She is currently involved in the formation of the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

She has been chairman of the board of the Illinois State Historic Preservation Agency since 1985.  Prior to that she was both a member and chairman of the board of trustees of the Illinois State Historical Library, the predecessor of the IHPA.

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