79R14784 MMS-D By: Hughes H.R. No. 1525R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, Justin Lookadoo, a highly acclaimed speaker and successful author, is helping young people across the country to develop character, leadership skills, and healthy relationships; and WHEREAS, Born in El Paso and now based in Mineola, Mr. Lookadoo began making presentations to elementary and junior high school students while still in college; after earning a degree in biology from Tarleton State University, he became an award-winning drug- and crime-prevention specialist with the Smith County Juvenile Probation Department, where he worked for six years before embarking on his present career; and WHEREAS, Recognizing the need to guide young people away from dangerous behaviors, Mr. Lookadoo created a faith-based prevention program titled R U Dateable?; the program is focused on helping young people to achieve strong character, effective communication skills, self-confidence, and lasting friendships; and WHEREAS, Encouraged by public school teachers to turn his stage performance into a book, Mr. Lookadoo teamed with Hayley Morgan to create a work that would aid adolescents in solving their problems by using "teen logic" rather than "adult logic"; titled Dateable: are you? are they?, the book has been on the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA) Young Adult Best Seller List since August 2003; it has been translated into Korean and is also sold in Taiwan, Indonesia, and the Netherlands; and WHEREAS, Mr. Lookadoo's second book, The Hardest 30 Days of Your Life, was nominated for the prestigious Gold Medallion Book Award, given by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association; in addition, he has authored or coauthored three other books, all of which have made the CBA best seller list; and WHEREAS, Since 1992, Justin Lookadoo has made presentations to nearly a million young people around the nation and reached countless others through his writings, and his commitment to helping youth build fulfilling and productive lives is indeed deserving of special commendation; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas Legislature hereby honor Justin Lookadoo for his immeasurable contributions in behalf of young Texans and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Lookadoo as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.