1-1                                       1

 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 994

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

 1-4     recognizing Sheila Simmons on her many years of outstanding

 1-5     service to our state; and

 1-6           WHEREAS, Sheila Simmons was a member of the first class of

 1-7     provisionally admitted women to Texas A&M University in 1965, and

 1-8     she graduated from Sam Houston State University in 1966; she began

 1-9     her longtime service with the state in 1966 when she joined

1-10     The University of Texas System as an assistant to the chancellor;

1-11     she was a member of the chancellor's executive staff and an officer

1-12     of The University of Texas System; her responsibilities included

1-13     drafting correspondence for the chancellor and supervising office

1-14     staff; and

1-15           WHEREAS, Sheila proposed and created the Office of Records

1-16     Management for the permanent storage and retrieval of all official

1-17     documents for The University of Texas System, and she served on the

1-18     systemwide committee to review computer and telephone systems in

1-19     regard to needs for the future; she attended meetings of the Boards

1-20     of Regents and maintained all of the chancellors' appointments; she

1-21     served under four chancellors at the university until she became an

1-22     administrative assistant to the Governor of Texas in 1985; and

1-23           WHEREAS, In the governor's office, Sheila served as a member

 2-1     of the governor's senior staff and coordinated all correspondence

 2-2     and legal documents; she traveled with the governor to events and

 2-3     out-of-town meetings and coordinated the governor's schedule with

 2-4     the first lady's schedule; in 1990, she became the administrative

 2-5     assistant to the Commissioner of Insurance for the State of Texas;

 2-6     and

 2-7           WHEREAS, Noted for her expertise and wealth of experience,

 2-8     Sheila joined the office of Senator Jim Turner at the State Capitol

 2-9     in August of 1991 and was promoted to the position of Chief of

2-10     Staff; her many responsibilities included management of the Capitol

2-11     office and supervision over the district offices; she coordinated

2-12     the duties of the senator's staff, handled official correspondence,

2-13     and served as a liaison to constituents; she retired in 1995; and

2-14           WHEREAS, A woman of many talents and interests, Sheila founded

2-15     the Jaguar Club of Austin, Incorporated, and serves on the Advisory

2-16     Board of the Humane Society of Austin and Travis County; her

2-17     hobbies have included rebuilding the engine in her own Jaguar; and

2-18           WHEREAS, An exemplary lady who has distinguished herself in

2-19     her career, Sheila Simmons is a gifted and remarkably proficient

2-20     individual, and she has served her state with loyalty, dedication,

2-21     and efficiency; now, therefore, be it

2-22           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,

2-23     75th Legislature, hereby commend Sheila Simmons on her many

2-24     contributions to her state and her first-rate work in the offices

2-25     of our state's leaders and administrators; and, be it further

 3-1           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for

 3-2     Sheila Simmons as an expression of esteem from the Texas Senate.

 3-3                                                              Barrientos

 3-4                                  ______________________________________

 3-5                                          President of the Senate

 3-6                                       I hereby certify that the above

 3-7                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate

 3-8                                  on May 31, 1997.

 3-9                                  ______________________________________

3-10                                          Secretary of the Senate

3-11                                  ______________________________________

3-12                                           Member, Texas Senate