H.R. No. 1568


R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, After 24 years of exemplary service, the longtime leader of Saint Joseph Health System, Sister Gretchen Kunz of Bryan, is transitioning from her position as president and chief executive officer to assist the system's charitable organization, the St. Joseph Foundation; and WHEREAS, A Franciscan nun who holds degrees in nursing, education, and educational and hospital administration, Sister Gretchen was appointed hospital administrator by the Sisters of St. Francis in 1981; prior to moving to Bryan, she served as director of nurses at Providence Hospital in Sandusky, Ohio, for 10 years; and WHEREAS, After she arrived at Saint Joseph, she worked to establish close relationships with civic, school, and business leaders as well as physicians to ensure that the needs of the community were being met; her farsighted leadership was a driving force in establishing the hospital's cardiac and cancer treatment facilities and in expanding its rehabilitation and surgical services, maternal-child care, and emergency services; during her tenure, the facility's staff has grown from 300 to more than 2,000 employees, and small hospitals in Caldwell, Navasota, and Madisonville as well as eight rural clinics have joined the system; and WHEREAS, In addition to her service to Saint Joseph, Sister Gretchen helped to found a number of important community organizations, including the Prenatal Clinic, the Health for All Clinic, Project Unity, and the local Habitat for Humanity; she has also served on the boards of the United Way of the Brazos Valley and the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce, which recently named her the Citizen of the Year; and WHEREAS, Sister Gretchen's impressive skill as an administrator and passionate commitment to the needs of the people of the Bryan-College Station area are truly outstanding, and her strength, warmth, and humanity will long continue to inspire all who know or know of her; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas Legislature hereby honor Sister Gretchen Kunz as she transitions from her position as president and chief executive officer of Saint Joseph Health System and extend to her sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Sister Gretchen as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Brown of Brazos ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1568 was adopted by the House on May 20, 2005, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House