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.