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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Recognizing her significant contributions to the |
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city of Dallas, the North Texas Chapter of the American Society for |
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Public Administration has named Dallas city manager Mary K. Suhm as |
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the 2007 North Texas Public Administrator of the Year; and |
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WHEREAS, After receiving her bachelor's degree from Lamar |
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University, Ms. Suhm earned two master's degrees, in business |
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administration and library science, from the University of North |
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Texas; she taught high school biology and served as director of the |
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Allen Public Library before entering Dallas city government in |
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1978; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Suhm's long tenure as a public servant includes |
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experience at nearly every level of municipal government; she has |
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been the manager of three Dallas branch libraries, the manager of |
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the Urban Information Center at the Dallas Public Library, an |
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assistant to the mayor and the city manager, and the director of |
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Court Services; moreover, as executive assistant director of the |
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Dallas Police Department, she earned the distinction of being the |
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first non-sworn female executive in the history of the DPD; and |
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WHEREAS, During her 10 years as first assistant city manager |
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and assistant city manager, Ms. Suhm was responsible for management |
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of the daily operations of such key departments as financial |
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services, public information, housing, street services, |
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sanitation, code enforcement, aviation, and others; and |
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WHEREAS, In June 2005, she was appointed Dallas city manager, |
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and assumed responsibility for overseeing the daily operations of a |
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major city with 13,000 employees and a yearly budget of more than $2 |
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billion; and |
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WHEREAS, Well-known for her creative and innovative |
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leadership, she has been instrumental in reorganizing the delivery |
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of city services and fostering a citywide customer service ethic; |
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she has established a permanent efficiency team to simplify |
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procedures and reduce costs, centralized the procurement system, |
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and increased the involvement of historically underutilized |
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businesses; and |
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WHEREAS, Devoting her energies and talents as well to |
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long-term strategic planning, Ms. Suhm has coordinated state and |
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federal lobbying efforts for the $1.2 billion Trinity River Project |
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and negotiated agreements between neighboring cities to share the |
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tax revenues of DFW International Airport; her promotion of |
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cultural improvement has ranged from ensuring funds and community |
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support for the Latino Cultural Center to helping establish Raymond |
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Nasher's world-famous collection of sculpture as a permanent |
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exhibit in Dallas; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Suhm led the city's response to Hurricanes |
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Katrina and Rita, ensuring the establishment of two major |
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evacuation centers, setting up a Disaster Recovery Center to |
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facilitate governmental services for evacuees, and implementing |
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Project Exodus, a temporary housing project; and |
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WHEREAS, Her efforts to mentor and advance women in city |
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government have been recognized by the Linda Keithley Award for |
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Women in Public Management from the North Central Texas Council of |
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Governments, and she was named the 2006 Woman of the Year by the |
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Women's Council of Dallas County; and |
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WHEREAS, Mary Suhm is an exemplary public administrator who |
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has devoted nearly 30 years to the efficient and capable governance |
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of the City of Dallas, and it is fitting that her considerable |
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contributions to her fellow Texans be honored by this award; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Dallas city manager Mary K. Suhm on |
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her selection as the 2007 North Texas Public Administrator of the |
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Year by the North Texas Chapter of the American Society for Public |
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Administration and extend to her best wishes for her continued |
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success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Suhm as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |
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Davis of Dallas |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1860 was adopted by the House on May |
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18, 2007, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |