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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The passing of admired civic leader Devoyd Jennings |
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of Fort Worth on July 24, 2021, at the age of 73, brought a great |
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loss to his family and friends; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Los Angeles, California, on September 10, |
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1947, "Dee" Jennings was the son of William and Margaret Jennings; |
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he grew up in Fort Worth and attended I. M. Terrell High School and |
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Tarrant County Community College before completing his bachelor's |
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degree in marketing at Texas Wesleyan University; in 1973, he began |
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working for Texas Electric as a consumer specialist, and during his |
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noteworthy 27-year career with the company, he became its first |
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African American lobbyist; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Jennings was involved in many business and civic |
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organizations and served as president and CEO of the Fort Worth |
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Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce; he was instrumental in its |
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establishment of two leadership programs, Paths Forward and BRIDGE; |
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in addition, he helped create two standalone organizations that |
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directly benefit minority development, the William Mann Jr. |
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Community Development Corporation and Southeast Fort Worth |
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Incorporated; he further served as chair of the North Texas Tollway |
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Authority's Business Diversity Advisory Committee and worked |
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tirelessly with public officials and others to advance minority- |
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and women-owned businesses; deeply committed to education, he was a |
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member of the board of Texas Wesleyan University for nearly two |
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decades; he successfully championed the refurbishing of his old |
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elementary school, G. W. Carver, and the reopening of I. M. Terrell |
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as a STEM and performing arts academy; moreover, he was an active |
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alumnus of the I. M. Terrell Class of 1966; the recipient of |
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numerous accolades, he was honored by the City of Fort Worth in 1992 |
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and 2005 with proclamations of Devoyd Jennings Day; he was also |
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recognized three times by the Fort Worth Business Press, most |
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recently with a 2017 Minority Leaders in Business Award; and |
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WHEREAS, Devoted to his family, Mr. Jennings shared a |
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fulfilling 41-year marriage with his wife, Gwen; he took great |
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pride in his 5 children, Charles, Robert, Demeka, Carla, and |
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Sharla, as well as his 11 grandchildren, Gerome, Jasmine, Jordan, |
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Isis, Kyzier, Zion, Anthony, Dominique, Lala, Jared, and Yancy, and |
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his great-granddaughter, Princess; in his free time, he enjoyed |
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listening to jazz and playing basketball; and |
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WHEREAS, Dee Jennings gave freely of his time and expertise |
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to better his community, and his record of service will be a lasting |
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source of inspiration to all who were privileged to know him; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Devoyd "Dee" Jennings |
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and extend sincere condolences to his loved ones; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Dee |
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Jennings. |
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Collier |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 582 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on March 30, 2023. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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