80R16101 JGH-D

By: Davis of Dallas H.R. No. 1860

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Recognizing her significant contributions to the city of Dallas, the North Texas Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration has named Dallas city manager Mary K. Suhm as the 2007 North Texas Public Administrator of the Year; and

WHEREAS, After receiving her bachelor's degree from Lamar University, Ms. Suhm earned two master's degrees, in business administration and library science, from the University of North Texas; she taught high school biology and served as director of the Allen Public Library before entering Dallas city government in 1978; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Suhm's long tenure as a public servant includes experience at nearly every level of municipal government; she has been the manager of three Dallas branch libraries, the manager of the Urban Information Center at the Dallas Public Library, an assistant to the mayor and the city manager, and the director of Court Services; moreover, as executive assistant director of the Dallas Police Department, she earned the distinction of being the first non-sworn female executive in the history of the DPD; and

WHEREAS, During her 10 years as first assistant city manager and assistant city manager, Ms. Suhm was responsible for management of the daily operations of such key departments as financial services, public information, housing, street services, sanitation, code enforcement, aviation, and others; and

WHEREAS, In June 2005, she was appointed Dallas city manager, and assumed responsibility for overseeing the daily operations of a major city with 13,000 employees and a yearly budget of more than $2 billion; and

WHEREAS, Well-known for her creative and innovative leadership, she has been instrumental in reorganizing the delivery of city services and fostering a citywide customer service ethic; she has established a permanent efficiency team to simplify procedures and reduce costs, centralized the procurement system, and increased the involvement of historically underutilized businesses; and

WHEREAS, Devoting her energies and talents as well to long-term strategic planning, Ms. Suhm has coordinated state and federal lobbying efforts for the $1.2 billion Trinity River Project and negotiated agreements between neighboring cities to share the tax revenues of DFW International Airport; her promotion of cultural improvement has ranged from ensuring funds and community support for the Latino Cultural Center to helping establish Raymond Nasher's world-famous collection of sculpture as a permanent exhibit in Dallas; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Suhm led the city's response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, ensuring the establishment of two major evacuation centers, setting up a Disaster Recovery Center to facilitate governmental services for evacuees, and implementing Project Exodus, a temporary housing project; and

WHEREAS, Her efforts to mentor and advance women in city government have been recognized by the Linda Keithley Award for Women in Public Management from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and she was named the 2006 Woman of the Year by the Women's Council of Dallas County; and

WHEREAS, Mary Suhm is an exemplary public administrator who has devoted nearly 30 years to the efficient and capable governance of the City of Dallas, and it is fitting that her considerable contributions to her fellow Texans be honored by this award; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Dallas city manager Mary K. Suhm on her selection as the 2007 North Texas Public Administrator of the Year by the North Texas Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration and extend to her best wishes for her continued success; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Ms. Suhm as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.