By Stiles H.R. No. 251 75R4927 JTR-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, In retiring from his position on the Texas Board of 1-2 Criminal Justice, Joshua W. "Josh" Allen, Sr., leaves behind him a 1-3 legacy of outstanding service, and it is indeed appropriate that he 1-4 be recognized for his many outstanding achievements; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Appointed by Governor Ann Richards in 1991, Mr. 1-6 Allen joined the board at a crucial juncture in its history, and 1-7 his sound judgment and strong leadership were indispensable in 1-8 confronting the thorny issues of prison overcrowding and inmate 1-9 drug treatment programs; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Mr. Allen served as co-chairman of the board's 1-11 construction and site selection committee, which oversaw more than 1-12 $1.5 billion in building projects, and chaired the prison Substance 1-13 Abuse Treatment Program, which was responsible for developing and 1-14 implementing over 5,000 treatment beds; in addition, as head of the 1-15 Human Resource Committee he retooled the Texas Department of 1-16 Criminal Justice's hiring and promotion policies to ensure more 1-17 equitable treatment of women and minorities; and 1-18 WHEREAS, A native Texan, Mr. Allen brought a wealth of 1-19 experience to his position on the board; he had worked as a 1-20 chemical laboratory technician, cabinetmaker, apartment manager, 1-21 general contractor, and consultant before founding both the J. 1-22 Allen Management Company, Inc., which oversees 1,000 apartments in 1-23 Beaumont and Houston, and J. Allen Contractors, Inc., which 1-24 provides consulting services to the U.S. Department of Housing and 2-1 Urban Development; and 2-2 WHEREAS, Mr. Allen's contributions to the community are not 2-3 limited to his many professional accomplishments, and he has given 2-4 freely of his time and talents to a number of organizations, 2-5 including the Golden Triangle Minority Business Council, the Texas 2-6 Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the Baptist Hospital Advisory 2-7 Board, and the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce, among many others; and 2-8 WHEREAS, His professional and civic accomplishments have 2-9 earned him much acclaim, and he is the recipient of the Jefferson 2-10 County Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Hall of Honor Award, the 2-11 American Institute for Public Service Jefferson Award, and the 2-12 National Apartment Association President of the Year Award; in 2-13 addition, he was nominated by the Outstanding Young Men of America 2-14 as their "Outstanding Business Man of the Year" in 1982; and 2-15 WHEREAS, Josh Allen's tenure on the Texas Board of Criminal 2-16 Justice is but the most recent chapter in a lifetime of committed 2-17 service to his fellow Texans, and the members of this chamber are 2-18 pleased to honor him at this time; now, therefore, be it 2-19 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas 2-20 Legislature hereby commend Joshua W. "Josh" Allen, Sr., on his 2-21 distinguished service on the Texas Board of Criminal Justice and 2-22 extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success and 2-23 happiness in the future; and, be it further 2-24 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-25 prepared for Mr. Allen as an expression of high regard by the Texas 2-26 House of Representatives.