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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Honorable Juan Manuel Escobar, county judge of |
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Kleberg County, has compiled an exceptional record of public |
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service; and |
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WHEREAS, A seventh-generation Tejano, Judge Escobar was born |
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and raised in Escobares, a Starr County community that was founded |
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by his ancestor Jose Maria Escobar in 1753; while a student at Roma |
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High School, he excelled at both academics and athletics and served |
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as president of the student council; and |
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WHEREAS, After graduating from high school in 1969, Judge |
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Escobar enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and saw combat in Vietnam; |
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within 15 months of entering the armed forces, he was promoted to |
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the rank of sergeant; his military awards include the Purple Heart, |
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Combat Action Ribbon, and Presidential Unit Citation; in addition, |
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he was selected for membership in the prestigious U.S. Marine Corps |
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Presidential Honor Guard in Washington, D.C., and while part of |
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that unit, he served as a pallbearer for presidents Harry S. Truman |
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and Lyndon B. Johnson; and |
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WHEREAS, Following his discharge in 1973, Judge Escobar |
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returned to the Rio Grande Valley and worked as a Starr County |
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deputy sheriff while earning a bachelor's degree in biology from |
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Pan American University; he joined the U.S. Border Patrol in 1978 |
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and enjoyed a stellar 25-year career with that agency, rising to |
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hold the post of senior special agent with an undercover unit, the |
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Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force; and |
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WHEREAS, In May 2003, Juan Escobar was elected to the Texas |
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House of Representatives to fill the unexpired term of |
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Representative Irma Rangel; during his tenure, which extended to |
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2009, he was instrumental in the establishment of the Irma Lerma |
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Rangel College of Pharmacy, located on the campus of Texas A&M |
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University--Kingsville, and in the creation of the Kenedy County |
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Groundwater Conservation District; he also worked to address the |
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problem of beach erosion, and his legislative agenda showed him to |
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be a forceful advocate for veterans, teachers, the public schools, |
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higher education, and human services; he served as vice chair of the |
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Defense Affairs and State-Federal Relations Committee and as a |
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member of the Border and International Affairs, Criminal |
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Jurisprudence, House Administration, and Land and Resource |
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Management Committees; and |
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WHEREAS, Elected county judge in November 2010, Juan Escobar |
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has set as his first priorities the creation of more housing in the |
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county, the boosting of high school graduation rates, and the |
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improvement of county infrastructure; he also plans to be active in |
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fostering economic growth and in promoting ecotourism; and |
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WHEREAS, Judge Escobar has long worked for the betterment of |
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his community through his involvement in local organizations; among |
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the many groups to benefit from his talents have been the boards of |
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trustees of the Brooks County Independent School District and the |
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Kingsville ISD, both of which he has served as president; |
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additionally, he is a lay minister and a former administrator for |
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St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Kingsville, and he is affiliated |
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with, and has been a commander of, a number of veterans |
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associations; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan has been named Legislator of the |
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Year by the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Sierra Club of Texas, |
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and the Texas affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union; his |
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outstanding work has also drawn tributes from the Texas Border |
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Sheriff's Coalition, American GI Forum, and Texas Association of |
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Mexican American Chambers of Commerce; and |
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WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Judge Escobar enjoys the |
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love and support of his wife of 39 years, Rosie, his daughter, |
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Yvonne Yvette, and his son and daughter-in-law, Eduardo Eden and |
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Marleena; and |
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WHEREAS, Over a span of four decades, Juan Escobar has |
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provided skillful, forward-looking leadership in behalf of his |
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fellow citizens, and he continues tirelessly to seek new avenues |
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for advancing the common good; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend the Honorable Juan Manuel Escobar for |
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his myriad contributions to the Lone Star State and extend to him |
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sincere appreciation for his distinguished career in public |
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service; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Judge Escobar as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Lozano |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1014 was adopted by the House on April |
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7, 2011, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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