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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Manuel Benavidez, Jr., of Rio Grande City received |
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the 2006 Western Region Trustee Leadership Award from the |
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Association of Community College Trustees, presented at the ACCT |
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Annual Community College Leadership Congress in Orlando, Florida, |
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on October 12, 2006; and |
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WHEREAS, A founding member of the Board of Trustees of South |
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Texas College in McAllen, Mr. Benavidez was appointed by Governor |
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Ann Richards at the time of STC's founding in 1993 to represent |
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Starr County in the creation of a new community college for South |
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Texas; he won a six-year term as trustee in 2000 and was reelected |
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in 2006; and |
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WHEREAS, As a member of STC's Board of Trustees, he has served |
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as chair, vice chair, and secretary of the board; he has also |
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chaired the Facilities Committee and served on the Education and |
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Workforce Committee; and |
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WHEREAS, A staunch advocate for the growth of STC, Mr. |
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Benavidez was instrumental in helping the college pass a $98.7 |
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million bond for the expansion of its five campuses; he worked to |
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include STC as one of three Texas community colleges offering a |
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bachelor of applied technology degree; at the Summit on College |
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Readiness in February 2006, he opened the summit by addressing 150 |
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educators, business leaders, and government officials on the need |
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to prepare students for higher education; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Benavidez has been active in promoting community |
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colleges generally; his testimony before the Texas Legislature to |
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advocate allowing eligible high school students to attend |
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college-level technical classes while still in high school helped |
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ensure enactment of such legislation; he served on the ACCT's Board |
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of Directors from 2003 to 2005, chairing the ACCT Diversity |
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Committee during that same period; he has also been the Western |
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Region representative for the Association of Latino Community |
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College Trustees; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Benavidez was recognized at the ACCT Annual |
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Congress in 2005 with the Lifetime Membership Award for his |
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leadership on the issues of diversity and equal opportunity; he has |
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been an indispensable participant in the improvement of educational |
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opportunities in Starr County and in the growth and success of South |
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Texas College, and he is most deserving of special recognition; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Manuel Benavidez, Jr., on his |
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receipt of the 2006 Western Region Trustee Leadership Award from |
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the Association of Community College Trustees and extend to him |
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best wishes for his continued success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Benavidez as a token of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |