By:  Zbranek                                           H.R. No. 168
       73R3639 BNL-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, Sandra J. Pickett is retiring from her position as
    1-2  chair of the Liberty County Historical Commission after 22 years of
    1-3  dedicated service, and her expertise and unwavering commitment to
    1-4  that organization will be sorely missed by the people of Liberty
    1-5  County; and
    1-6        WHEREAS, Appointed by the late county judge Thomas J. Tower
    1-7  to chair the commission in 1971, Mrs. Pickett brought to this
    1-8  position a wealth of experience and knowledge; she had taught
    1-9  history and government at Liberty High School and had learned much
   1-10  about the history of Liberty County from her husband, Ed, whose
   1-11  family descended from some of the earliest settlers in the county;
   1-12  and
   1-13        WHEREAS, The commission operated out of an extra office in
   1-14  the Geraldine D. Humphreys Cultural Center, and when Mrs. Pickett
   1-15  first arrived, she found that the filing system consisted of
   1-16  cardboard boxes of papers and documents; she spent several months
   1-17  sorting through the historical data and commission records and
   1-18  transferring them into organized filing cabinets before embarking
   1-19  on her ambitious program of expanding the commission's membership
   1-20  and strengthening its financial position; and
   1-21        WHEREAS, This remarkable woman achieved these goals, and in
   1-22  doing so, she made her organization a major force in statewide
   1-23  historical preservation efforts; membership in the Liberty County
   1-24  Historical Commission has reached an all-time high of 60 members,
    2-1  the commission's funds have grown to $20,000, and for 11
    2-2  consecutive years, the Liberty County chapter has received the
    2-3  prestigious Distinguished Service Award from the Texas Historical
    2-4  Commission; and
    2-5        WHEREAS, An active member of the Atascosito Historical
    2-6  Society, Mrs. Pickett has led efforts to construct and support a
    2-7  branch of the Texas State Library, the Sam Houston Regional Library
    2-8  and Research Center, in Liberty; in addition, this esteemed
    2-9  individual supported the programs of the Texas Historical
   2-10  Commission and helped to organize the Preservation Texas Alliance,
   2-11  which works with the historical commission to educate elected
   2-12  officials on the critical importance of preserving and restoring
   2-13  historical relics and landmarks; and
   2-14        WHEREAS, Mrs. Pickett expanded her role in the political
   2-15  process when she was elected to the Liberty City Council in 1974,
   2-16  and she continues to participate in local and state government to
   2-17  further the cause of preserving historical landmarks and sites; she
   2-18  is currently active in the Houston-Galveston Area Council of
   2-19  Governments, the Texas Municipal League, and the National League of
   2-20  Cities, an organization to which she will devote more time after
   2-21  ending her tenure with the Liberty County Historical Commission;
   2-22  and
   2-23        WHEREAS, Known for her integrity and leadership, Mrs. Pickett
   2-24  has earned the respect, admiration, and gratitude of her colleagues
   2-25  and the residents of Liberty County; her peers recognized her
   2-26  unique abilities and talents by nominating her for the prestigious
   2-27  John Ben Shepperd Leadership Award; and
    3-1        WHEREAS, Sandra J. Pickett has devoted 22 years to the noble
    3-2  cause of historical preservation, and in doing so she has ensured
    3-3  that the relics of the Lone Star State, the symbols and artifacts
    3-4  that tell the story of our rich and diverse history, will be handed
    3-5  down to a new generation of Texans, and indeed, many other
    3-6  generations to come, and the members of this chamber are proud to
    3-7  join in honoring this distinguished individual; now, therefore, be
    3-8  it
    3-9        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas
   3-10  Legislature hereby honor Sandra J. Pickett for her outstanding
   3-11  preservation efforts as chair of the Liberty County Historical
   3-12  Commission and extend to her warmest best wishes for many more
   3-13  years of continued success and happiness; and, be it further
   3-14        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   3-15  forwarded to Mrs. Pickett as an expression of high regard by the
   3-16  Texas House of Representatives.