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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Jessica Shortall of Dallas has rendered exceptional |
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service to the LGBTQIA+ communities in Texas and beyond through her |
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tireless advocacy work; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Shortall is the founding managing director of |
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Texas Competes, a partnership of business owners, industry |
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associations, and chambers of commerce; the organization helps |
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ensure the fair treatment of LGBTQIA+ workers and families, opposes |
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discriminatory policies, and strives to make the state more |
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economically competitive by promoting inclusiveness; the |
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organization is a model for America Competes, an entity also |
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directed by Ms. Shortall, that provides entrepreneurs with |
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information, legislative analysis, and other resources so that they |
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can advocate for equal opportunity for the members of the LGBTQIA+ |
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communities; and |
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WHEREAS, The daughter of Venezuelan and English immigrants, |
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Ms. Shortall formerly served with the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan, |
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and she cofounded the Campus Kitchens Project, a food rescue and |
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hunger relief nonprofit that is active in more than 50 cities in the |
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U.S.; moreover, she was the first director of giving at TOMS Shoes |
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and played a key role in building the company's One for One |
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charitable program; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Shortall earned a master of business |
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administration degree in 2006 from the University of Oxford, where |
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she was a Skoll Scholar in social entrepreneurship; she also works |
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as a strategy consultant, and in all her endeavors she enjoys the |
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love and support of her husband, Clay, and her two children; and |
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WHEREAS, By defending the rights of those who are |
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marginalized, Jessica Shortall is helping to build a more just, |
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open, and diverse society for all Americans, and she may indeed take |
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great pride in her many achievements; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby commend Jessica Shortall |
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for her dedicated advocacy in behalf of the LGBTQIA+ community in |
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Texas and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued success |
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with her important work; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Shortall as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |