| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, The passing of admired civic leader Devoyd Jennings |
|
|
of Fort Worth on July 24, 2021, at the age of 73, brought a great |
|
|
loss to his family and friends; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Born in Los Angeles, California, on September 10, |
|
|
1947, "Dee" Jennings was the son of William and Margaret Jennings; |
|
|
he grew up in Fort Worth and attended I. M. Terrell High School and |
|
|
Tarrant County Community College before completing his bachelor's |
|
|
degree in marketing at Texas Wesleyan University; in 1973, he began |
|
|
working for Texas Electric as a consumer specialist, and during his |
|
|
noteworthy 27-year career with the company, he became its first |
|
|
African American lobbyist; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Jennings was involved in many business and |
|
|
civic organizations and served as president and CEO of the Fort |
|
|
Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce; he was instrumental |
|
|
in its establishment of two leadership programs, Paths Forward |
|
|
and BRIDGE; in addition, he helped create two standalone |
|
|
organizations that directly benefit minority development, the |
|
|
William Mann Jr. Community Development Corporation and Southeast |
|
|
Fort Worth Incorporated; he further served as chair of the North |
|
|
Texas Tollway Authority's Business Diversity Advisory Committee |
|
|
and worked tirelessly with public officials and others to advance |
|
|
minority- and women-owned businesses; deeply committed to |
|
|
education, he was a member of the board of Texas Wesleyan University |
|
|
for nearly two decades; he successfully championed the refurbishing |
|
|
of his old elementary school, G. W. Carver, and the reopening of |
|
|
I. M. Terrell as a STEM and performing arts academy; moreover, he |
|
|
was an active alumnus of the I. M. Terrell Class of 1966; the |
|
|
recipient of numerous accolades, he was honored by the City of Fort |
|
|
Worth in 1992 and 2005 with proclamations of Devoyd Jennings Day; he |
|
|
was also recognized three times by the Fort Worth Business Press, |
|
|
most recently with a 2017 Minority Leaders in Business Award; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Devoted to his family, Mr. Jennings shared a |
|
|
fulfilling 41-year marriage with his wife, Gwen; he took great |
|
|
pride in his 5 children, Charles, Robert, Demeka, Carla, and |
|
|
Sharla, as well as his 11 grandchildren, Gerome, Jasmine, Jordan, |
|
|
Isis, Kyzier, Zion, Anthony, Dominique, Lala, Jared, and Yancy, and |
|
|
his great-granddaughter, Princess; in his free time, he enjoyed |
|
|
listening to jazz and playing basketball; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Dee Jennings gave freely of his time and expertise |
|
|
to better his community, and his record of service will be a lasting |
|
|
source of inspiration to all who were privileged to know him; now, |
|
|
therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
|
|
Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of |
|
|
Devoyd Jennings and extend sincere condolences to his loved ones; |
|
|
and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
|
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
|
|
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Dee |
|
|
Jennings. |
| |
|
|
Collier |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Speaker of the House |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 22 was unanimously adopted by a rising |
|
|
vote of the House on September 30, 2021. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |