By Swinford H.R. No. 798 77R13229 JKB-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, On February 20, 2001, with more than 23 years of 1-2 outstanding service to the Lone Star State, Benny Mathis announced 1-3 his retirement as executive director of the Texas Structural Pest 1-4 Control Board; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Since joining the board as an investigator in 1978, 1-6 and subsequently being promoted to executive director in 1991, 1-7 Mr. Mathis has worked to implement regulations, policies, and 1-8 practices for the pest control industry and integrate pest 1-9 management throughout the state; and 1-10 WHEREAS, As president and longtime board member of the 1-11 Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials, this 1-12 esteemed Texan has been an emissary to Mexico and to other states 1-13 throughout the United States in his development of the Model 1-14 Technician Training Standards and the Model IPM plan; and 1-15 WHEREAS, He was instrumental in having the Texas Structural 1-16 Pest Control Board designated as the state agency that oversees 1-17 the federal project known as the "US and Mexico Pesticide 1-18 Information Exchange," a program that ensures cooperation between 1-19 the Mexican and U.S. border states on issues concerning pesticide 1-20 safety, scientific and technological information, and pesticide 1-21 registration, use, and removal; and 1-22 WHEREAS, Mr. Mathis has committed himself to facilitating the 1-23 flow of information among all those potentially affected by pest 1-24 control practices, including environmentalists, real estate agents, 2-1 building inspectors, contractors, consumers, businesspersons, and 2-2 industry members; and 2-3 WHEREAS, For more than two decades, this esteemed individual 2-4 has acted with integrity and foresight in promoting the profession 2-5 of structural pest control in Texas, and his many contributions to 2-6 this state and the pest control industry will not soon be 2-7 forgotten; now, therefore, be it 2-8 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas 2-9 Legislature hereby congratulate Benny Mathis on the occasion of his 2-10 retirement from the Texas Structural Pest Control Board and extend 2-11 to him sincere best wishes for happiness and success in all of his 2-12 future endeavors; and, be it further 2-13 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-14 prepared for Mr. Mathis as an expression of high regard by the 2-15 Texas House of Representatives.