H.R. No. 34
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Honorable Gwyn Shea, Texas secretary of state,
is retiring from office effective August 4, 2003, to take a post as
a senior advisor to Governor Rick Perry, having rendered
outstanding service to the people of the Lone Star State; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed public official assumed the duties of
secretary of state in January 2002, following her appointment to
the office by Governor Perry; as the state's chief election
officer, she has worked with the legislature to ensure that Texas
election law is in harmony with the Help America Vote Act, launched
a four-prong voter awareness campaign targeting high school
students, military personnel, working families, and senior
citizens, and successfully overseen several elections, including
the November 2002 midterm election; and
WHEREAS, In addition, Secretary Shea has assisted the Texas
business community by striving to maximize the accessibility and
service of the corporations section of the secretary of state's
office; moreover, she has led a Texas trade mission to the Canadian
provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba and signed memorandums of
understanding with both Manitoba and the Socialist Republic of
Vietnam; in her capacity as secretary of state, she has been
involved with Texas-Mexico border affairs, focusing especially on
the health and infrastructure needs of colonia residents; and
WHEREAS, Before joining the state's executive branch,
Secretary Shea served as a member of the Texas House of
Representatives from 1982 to 1992 and as a Dallas County constable
from 1993 to 2002; while a member of the legislature, she became the
first woman to sit on the House Ways and Means Committee and earned
widespread recognition for her work with the House Insurance
Committee; and
WHEREAS, In consequence of her notable legislative service,
Ms. Shea was elected president of the National Council of Insurance
Legislators and was tapped for many accolades; among the
organizations paying tribute to her were the Texas Municipal
League, Texas Association of Business, Texas Civil Justice League,
and Texas Association of Concerned Tax Payers; and
WHEREAS, Secretary Shea was appointed as a Dallas County
constable in 1993 and was reelected to that office in 1994, 1996,
and 2000; serving Irving, Coppell, and North Dallas, she succeeded
in returning more than $1 million annually in hot check restitution
and postjudgment collections; and
WHEREAS, Governor George W. Bush enlisted Gwyn Shea's
expertise in behalf of the state on several occasions, naming her to
the Texas Workers' Compensation Insurance Facility in 1995 and
selecting her as president of the Texas Healthy Kids Corporation in
1997; and
WHEREAS, During the 30 years that Secretary Shea has lived in
Dallas County, she has participated in numerous community
organizations, serving as director of the Irving Chamber of
Commerce, president of that chamber's women's division, and
advisory board member of the Irving Infant Intervention Center and
Irving CARES; and
WHEREAS, With a more relaxed schedule ahead of her after many
years in public office, Secretary Shea is looking forward to
enjoying family life with her two children and grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Gwyn Shea has served her fellow Texans with the
utmost integrity, ability, and devotion for more than two decades,
and she is indeed deserving of commendation for her immeasurable
contributions to the state; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas
Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby honor Gwyn Shea for her
exemplary stewardship as Texas secretary of state and extend to her
profound appreciation for her many years of distinguished public
service; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Secretary Shea as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Wohlgemuth
Craddick Geren Mercer
Allen Giddings Merritt
Alonzo Goodman Miller
Bailey Goolsby Moreno of Harris
Baxter Griggs Moreno of El Paso
Berman Grusendorf Morrison
Bohac Guillen Mowery
Bonnen Gutierrez Naishtat
Branch Haggerty Nixon
Brown of Kaufman Hamilton Noriega
Brown of Brazos Hamric Oliveira
Burnam Hardcastle Olivo
Callegari Harper-Brown Paxton
Campbell Hartnett Pena
Canales Heflin Phillips
Capelo Hegar Pickett
Casteel Hilderbran Pitts
Castro Hill Puente
Chavez Hochberg Quintanilla
Chisum Hodge Raymond
Christian Homer Reyna
Coleman Hope Riddle
Cook of Navarro Hopson Ritter
Cook of Colorado Howard Rodriguez
Corte Hughes Rose
Crabb Hunter Seaman
Crownover Hupp Smith of Tarrant
Davis of Harris Isett Smith of Harris
Davis of Dallas Jones of Lubbock Smithee
Dawson Jones of Bexar Solis
Delisi Jones of Dallas Solomons
Denny Keel Stick
Deshotel Keffer of Dallas Swinford
Driver Keffer of Eastland Talton
Dukes King Taylor
Dunnam Kolkhorst Telford
Dutton Krusee Thompson
Edwards Kuempel Truitt
Eiland Laney Turner
Eissler Laubenberg Uresti
Elkins Lewis Van Arsdale
Ellis Luna Villarreal
Escobar Mabry West
Farabee Madden Wilson
Farrar Marchant Wise
Flores Martinez Fischer Wohlgemuth
Flynn McCall Wolens
Gallego McClendon Wong
Garza McReynolds Woolley
Gattis Menendez Zedler
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 34 was adopted by the House on August
5, 2003, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House