By Bailey                                             H.R. No. 1286
         77R15872 GMW-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, In his role as president and CEO of the Greater
 1-2     Greenspoint Management District and the Greater Greenspoint
 1-3     Redevelopment Authority, Jack Drake has been invaluable to the
 1-4     growth and prosperity of the Greenspoint community; and
 1-5           WHEREAS, The Greater Greenspoint Management District, which
 1-6     was formed in 1991 by the Texas Legislature, and the Greater
 1-7     Greenspoint Redevelopment Authority, which was created in 1998 by
 1-8     the City of Houston, endeavor both to promote new development and
 1-9     to spur redevelopment in the Greenspoint area; Mr. Drake has
1-10     adroitly led these organizations as their president and CEO and has
1-11     brought about positive change to the community over the course of
1-12     his fine tenure; and
1-13           WHEREAS, Under his direction, Greenspoint has seen its real
1-14     estate and retail sectors prosper, with numerous houses and a
1-15     number of hotels being built, which has in turn driven property
1-16     values up; moreover, countless improvements are being made to
1-17     parks, trails, streets, and public infrastructure, and educational
1-18     opportunities abound; both the Aldine and Spring independent school
1-19     districts have achieved "recognized" status, and the North Harris
1-20     Montgomery Community College District has grown to now provide for
1-21     the higher education of more than 30,000 students; and
1-22           WHEREAS, Mr. Drake also works to increase awareness of the
1-23     area's many attributes by serving as vice chairman and as a member
1-24     of the board of directors and executive committee of the North
 2-1     Houston Greenspoint Chamber of Commerce, and he is chair of the
 2-2     Chairman's Circle, the highest level of chamber membership; in
 2-3     addition, he has been involved with the North Houston Association,
 2-4     the Greenspoint Club, the Urban Land Institute, and the City
 2-5     Planners Association of Texas; and
 2-6           WHEREAS, Among the well-deserved honors Mr. Drake has
 2-7     received are the 1996 Compass Award from the North Houston
 2-8     Association, the 1997 Partner of the Year Award from the Hotel
 2-9     Sofitel, and the Pinnacle Award in 1996 and 1998 from the North
2-10     Houston Greenspoint Chamber of Commerce, an organization that in
2-11     1997 named him Citizen of the Year; and
2-12           WHEREAS, A Houston resident since 1969, Mr. Drake earned
2-13     business and law degrees from the University of Oklahoma; before
2-14     joining the Greater Greenspoint Management District, he served as
2-15     executive director of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
2-16     for Southeast Texas and as an assistant to longtime Houston Mayor
2-17     Kathy Whitmire; and
2-18           WHEREAS, Jack Drake's leadership in the Greenspoint community
2-19     has been integral to the continued vitality of this burgeoning
2-20     area, and it is fitting that we honor him at this time; now,
2-21     therefore, be it
2-22           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
2-23     Legislature hereby commend Jack Drake for his myriad civic
2-24     contributions and extend to him best wishes for continued success;
2-25     and, be it further
2-26           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-27     prepared for Jack Drake as an expression of high regard by the
 3-1     Texas House of Representatives.