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.