1-1                                       1

 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 469

 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes great

 1-4     pleasure in recognizing Myrna J. Deckert for being named recipient

 1-5     of the 1997 Distinguished Service Award by the Rotary Club of

 1-6     El Paso; and

 1-7           WHEREAS, A longtime resident of El Paso, Mrs. Deckert was born

 1-8     in McPherson, Kansas, and raised in California; she married

 1-9     Ray Deckert, and they moved to El Paso when they were newly

1-10     married; and

1-11           WHEREAS, After attending college in both El Paso and

1-12     California, she earned her master's degree in management; and

1-13           WHEREAS, Having been director of the teen department of

1-14     the Young Women's Christian Association for six years, Myrna was

1-15     promoted to assistant director; in 1970, she became director of the

1-16     Young Women's Christian Association and currently fills that post;

1-17     and

1-18           WHEREAS, Since she has been directing the organization, the

1-19     Young Women's Christian Association has expanded its budget from

1-20     $100,000 to over 19 million; the number of employees has increased

1-21     from 20 to about 700; and

1-22           WHEREAS, The property of the Young Women's Christian

1-23     Association has grown from a 50-year-old building to eight

 2-1     properties with branches; and

 2-2           WHEREAS, Mrs. Deckert has built a board of directors that has

 2-3     encouraged and supported her and of which El Paso can be proud; and

 2-4           WHEREAS, Many of the improvements Mrs. Deckert has initiated

 2-5     include counseling for children whose parents are divorcing,

 2-6     consumer credit counseling services, a transitional living center

 2-7     for homeless women and their children, and preschool and

 2-8     after-school care for schoolchildren; and

 2-9           WHEREAS, Now the largest and most successful Young Women's

2-10     Christian Association in the United States, the El Paso branch

2-11     can attribute its success to its superb director; and

2-12           WHEREAS, Highly regarded by the community, Myrna Deckert

2-13     has been an active participant and is a director of Texas

2-14     Commerce Bank, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Columbia Medical

2-15     Center-East, and chair of the Strategic Directions Committee of the

2-16     Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services; and

2-17           WHEREAS, The winner of numerous honors and awards, she was

2-18     given the Community Service Award of Chapter 617 of the League

2-19     of United Latin American Citizens in 1980, won the Volunteer

2-20     Service Award given by the Volunteer Bureau in 1984, was designated

2-21     recipient of the Women Helping Women Regional Award by Soroptimist

2-22     International in 1989, was named Executive Director of the Year

2-23     by the National Association of YWCA Executives in 1990, and was

2-24     inducted into the El Paso County Historical Society Hall of Fame

2-25     in 1995; and

 3-1           WHEREAS, The citizens of El Paso and the State of Texas have

 3-2     greatly benefitted from the innumerable efforts of Mrs. Deckert,

 3-3     and she is certainly worthy of legislative recognition; now,

 3-4     therefore, be it

 3-5           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,

 3-6     75th Legislature, hereby congratulate Myrna J. Deckert on

 3-7     being named recipient of the 1997 Distinguished Service Award

 3-8     by the Rotary Club of El Paso; and, be it further

 3-9           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for her

3-10     as an expression of the high regard of the Texas Senate.

3-11                                                               Shapleigh

3-12                                  ______________________________________

3-13                                          President of the Senate

3-14                                       I hereby certify that the above

3-15                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate

3-16                                  on April 9, 1997.

3-17                                  ______________________________________

3-18                                          Secretary of the Senate

3-19                                  ______________________________________

3-20                                           Member, Texas Senate