By Junell H.C.R. No. 123 75R7172 SAJ-D HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature is proud to honor former 1-2 Senator Bill Sims for the many significant contributions he has 1-3 made to the agriculture and livestock industries in our state and 1-4 congratulate him on his most recent honor as the recipient of the 1-5 Texas A&M Distinguished Texan in Agriculture Award; and 1-6 WHEREAS, This prestigious accolade, which is sponsored by the 1-7 Agriculture Program at Texas A&M University, recognizes an 1-8 individual's outstanding leadership, contributions, and 1-9 achievements in behalf of the state's agribusiness industry; and 1-10 WHEREAS, A native of Paint Rock, Senator Sims has earned 1-11 distinction as a statesman, civic leader, businessman, farmer, and 1-12 rancher, and his noteworthy achievements have left an indelible 1-13 mark on both the agriculture industry and the people of Texas; and 1-14 WHEREAS, He represented his fellow citizens with integrity 1-15 and honor as a member of the Texas Senate from 1983 to 1996 and was 1-16 selected by his colleagues as the senate's president pro tempore in 1-17 1992; he drew on his extensive experience in the field of 1-18 agriculture to benefit our state as chair of the Senate Natural 1-19 Resources Committee, and he sought solutions to other important 1-20 matters as a member of several other committees, including finance, 1-21 criminal justice, education, and economic development; and 1-22 WHEREAS, This eminent gentleman was also involved with many 1-23 committees of the National Conference of State Legislatures, the 1-24 Southern Legislative Conference, and the American Legislative 2-1 Exchange Council, where his abundant knowledge and experience 2-2 benefited the entire nation; and 2-3 WHEREAS, In addition to Senator Sims's outstanding work in 2-4 these areas, he is also highly regarded for his long and rewarding 2-5 career in agriculture; a former county extension agent, he served 2-6 for nearly 30 years as the executive secretary of both the Texas 2-7 Sheep & Goat Raisers' Association and the Texas Wool & Mohair 2-8 Warehouse Association; the former managing editor of The Ranch 2-9 Magazine, he has been a rancher and farmer in Concho County for 2-10 many years; and 2-11 WHEREAS, Senator Sims has further worked for the betterment 2-12 of his state and community as director of the High Plains Research 2-13 Foundation and as an esteemed member of several boards and 2-14 organizations, including the Free Market Foundation Advisory Board, 2-15 the Texas International Livestock Exposition Advisory Board, and 2-16 the Texas Energy Council; and 2-17 WHEREAS, His remarkable contributions have earned him 2-18 well-deserved acclaim and numerous prestigious accolades during his 2-19 lifetime; in the past year alone, he was honored with the Texas 2-20 Farm Bureau's Distinguished Service Award and the Central Texas 2-21 Council of Governments' Appreciation Award, and he was also named 2-22 Man of the Year by the Texas County Agricultural Agents 2-23 Association and Citizen of the Year by the San Angelo Chamber of 2-24 Commerce; and 2-25 WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, he has enjoyed the love and 2-26 support of his devoted wife, Sue Sims, and the couple's children, 2-27 Billy Lowe Sims and Sue Ann Sims Setzler; and 3-1 WHEREAS, For more than 40 years, Senator Sims has dedicated 3-2 himself to enhancing the agriculture and livestock industries in 3-3 our state, and he is most deserving of special praise and 3-4 recognition on the occasion of his most recent honor; now, 3-5 therefore, be it 3-6 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 3-7 hereby commend the Honorable Bill Sims for the many significant 3-8 contributions he has made to the agribusiness industry in Texas and 3-9 congratulate him on his receipt of the Texas A&M Distinguished 3-10 Texan in Agriculture Award; and, be it further 3-11 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-12 prepared for Senator Sims as an expression of high regard by the 3-13 Texas House of Representatives and Senate.