H.R. No. 1225 R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Kelly Martino is a native Texan, having been born in 1-2 the Heights and raised in Montrose in the city of Houston, where he 1-3 currently resides; and 1-4 WHEREAS, Kelly is an alumnus of North Texas State University, 1-5 now the University of North Texas, where he was graduated cum laude 1-6 with a bachelor's degree in music and where he completed his 1-7 doctoral studies in music education; and 1-8 WHEREAS, Kelly is also an alumnus of Sam Houston State 1-9 University in Huntsville, where he received his master of arts 1-10 degree in music and English, where he was the only graduate student 1-11 elected by the music faculty to the honorary music society, Pi 1-12 Kappa Lambda, in 1977, and where, in 1983, he was honored as the 1-13 first recipient of the Distinguished Orchestra Alumnus Award; and 1-14 WHEREAS, Kelly Martino is certified in Texas to teach 1-15 all-level music, English, and computer literacy; and 1-16 WHEREAS, Kelly Martino's career in education has spanned 32 1-17 years in four states, first as an outstanding music educator and 1-18 later as an outstanding computer teacher; and 1-19 WHEREAS, Kelly Martino's career in music education included 1-20 tenures as a professor or lecturer in music education at Bowling 1-21 Green State University in Ohio, the University of Northern 1-22 Colorado, North Texas State University, the University of Kansas, 1-23 and Hartt College of Music at the University of Hartford in 2-1 Connecticut; and 2-2 WHEREAS, Kelly was an orchestra teacher and conductor at 2-3 Welch Middle School, and Westbury High School and director of 2-4 orchestras at the Brazosport Independent School District where he 2-5 developed the Brazoswood High School orchestra into the state high 2-6 school honor orchestra in 1974; and 2-7 WHEREAS, Kelly served as secretary and vice president of the 2-8 Texas Orchestra Directors Association and vice president of the 2-9 Texas Music Educators Association; and 2-10 WHEREAS, Kelly has published numerous articles in prestigious 2-11 music education journals and received numerous honors and awards 2-12 for his work in music and music education; and 2-13 WHEREAS, Kelly Martino has devoted the last 10 years of his 2-14 teaching career to computer instruction in the Houston Independent 2-15 School District at Welch Middle School, Pleasants Elementary 2-16 School, Houston Gardens Elementary School, and Wesley Elementary 2-17 School; and 2-18 WHEREAS, For many years, Kelly has been a labor activist, 2-19 serving as a volunteer recruiter, building steward, and vice 2-20 president at large for the Houston Federation of Teachers and as a 2-21 member of the state legislative board of the Texas Federation of 2-22 Teachers; and 2-23 WHEREAS, Kelly Martino has long been an activist for civil, 2-24 human, and gay rights, having served five years as a volunteer for 2-25 the Houston Gay and Lesbian Switchboard, as a board member and 3-1 volunteer for the Gay and Lesbian Hotline of the Personal Rights 3-2 Organization of Toledo, as a member of Queer Nation Houston Tribe, 3-3 a volunteer for Q-Patrol, an organization seeking to prevent hate 3-4 crimes against citizens in the nightlife area of Montrose, and a 3-5 member of several screening committees for political endorsements 3-6 by the Houston Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus; and 3-7 WHEREAS, Kelly devoted five years as a hotline volunteer and 3-8 volunteer information director for the AIDS Foundation/Houston, 3-9 following the diagnosis of his first domestic partner, Alex 3-10 Rodriguez, who died from complications of AIDS on April 25, 1988; 3-11 and 3-12 WHEREAS, Kelly Martino was raised and still is a practicing 3-13 Roman Catholic, having served as secretary and board member of 3-14 Dignity Toledo, an association for gay and lesbian Roman Catholics, 3-15 and as vice president and board member of Dignity Houston; and 3-16 WHEREAS, Kelly is currently a resident and property owner in 3-17 the district of the Honorable Debra Danburg, a teacher in the 3-18 district of the Honorable Sylvester Turner, a devotee of and 3-19 volunteer computer and graphics design consultant for the Honorable 3-20 Senfronia Thompson, and a tenant of and future resident in the 3-21 district of the Honorable Glen Maxey; now, therefore, 3-22 BE IT RESOLVED, that the Texas House of Representatives, 74th 3-23 Legislature, Regular Session, hereby extend congratulations to 3-24 Kelly Martino on his well-deserved retirement from the teaching 3-25 profession and extend him best wishes for a happy and productive 4-1 retirement.