By Solis                                              H.R. No. 1247
         77R17338 MW-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, Sonia Perez of McAllen has been accorded a great
 1-2     honor with her receipt of the 2001 Outstanding Young Texas Ex
 1-3     Award; and
 1-4           WHEREAS, Mrs. Perez graduated with honors from The University
 1-5     of Texas at Austin in 1978; a life member of the Longhorn
 1-6     Foundation and The Texas Ex-Student's Association, she presently
 1-7     serves as  vice chair of The University of Texas College Advisory
 1-8     Council and is Southwestern Bell's executive director-external
 1-9     affairs for the South Texas Border Region; and
1-10           WHEREAS, In 1996, this notable civic leader was appointed by
1-11     President Clinton to the Advisory Council of the Border
1-12     Environmental Cooperation Commission, and Governor Ann Richards
1-13     named her to the board of the Texas Department of Commerce; she was
1-14     also the first woman to serve as president of the McAllen Chamber
1-15     of Commerce; and
1-16           WHEREAS, The founding president of the McAllen Communities in
1-17     Schools program, Mrs. Perez recently has completed her second
1-18     three-year term on the national board of the Public Broadcasting
1-19     Service and currently serves as chairman of the Valley Initiative
1-20     for Development and Advancement; moreover, she has been deeply
1-21     involved with federal, state, and local campaigns, raising funds
1-22     for church and community initiatives, and recently helped to raise
1-23     $6.27 million for the Hidalgo County Historical Museum, where she
1-24     has been a board chair; and
 2-1           WHEREAS, Her dedication and tireless efforts have not gone
 2-2     unnoticed as she was named 1995 AVANCE's Rio Grande Valley Mother
 2-3     of the Year and 2000 McAllen Woman of the Year; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, A contributor to many local, state, and national
 2-5     issues, Mrs. Perez has given selflessly of her time and her
 2-6     expertise to helping others, and she is truly a great asset to the
 2-7     Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
 2-8           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
 2-9     Legislature hereby congratulate Sonia Perez for receiving a 2001
2-10     Outstanding Young Texas Ex Award and commend her for her countless
2-11     good works; and, be it further
2-12           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-13     prepared for Mrs. Perez as an expression of high regard by the
2-14     Texas House  of Representatives.