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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Donald Leon Williams has greatly benefited the Black |
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El Paso Democrats through his strong leadership as chair; and |
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WHEREAS, A charter member of the Black El Paso Democrats, Don |
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Williams became chair in 2005; he has worked tirelessly through the |
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years to motivate African Americans in El Paso to participate in the |
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political process, and he is diligent in his efforts to bring |
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factions together to strive for common goals; he is a member of the |
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Camino Real Mexican American Democrats, Paso del Norte Tejano |
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Democrats, Stonewall Democrats, and other Democratic groups as |
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well; currently serving as State Democratic Executive Committeeman |
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for Senatorial District 29, he has served as a delegate to precinct, |
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county, state, and national conventions; in 2007, he was inducted |
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into the El Paso Democratic Hall of Fame; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Williams was born in Houston on May 22, 1951, and |
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graduated from W.H. Burges High School in El Paso; after attending |
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the United States Military Academy at West Point, he completed his |
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bachelor's degree in political science at The University of Texas |
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at El Paso and earned his law degree from The University of Texas at |
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Austin School of Law; he was named a Distinguished Military Student |
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and Graduate by the Army ROTC and went on to serve as an officer in |
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the Judge Advocate General's Corps for five years, rising to become |
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senior defense counsel at Fort Bliss; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1983, Mr. Williams established a solo legal |
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practice, which today focuses on family law for members of the |
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military; he has been an associate municipal court judge, criminal |
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law magistrate, and family court judge, and he has also taught |
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courses in the Legal Assistant Division at El Paso Community |
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College; since 1994, he has served as an advanced family law |
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mediator; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan is a member of the College of the |
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State Bar of Texas and has given generously of his time and talents |
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to numerous professional organizations; a former member of the |
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board of the El Paso Bar Association, he was president of the El |
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Paso Family Law Bar Association and chair of the Family Law Bar |
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Association executive committee, and he has served on several State |
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Bar of Texas committees; moreover, he has been a presenter for |
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numerous programs of the State Bar and other organizations, and he |
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has directed several courses and written many articles, handbooks, |
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and other publications; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply committed to his community, Mr. Williams is a |
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graduate of Leadership El Paso and served on the board of its alumni |
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association; he is the first vice president of the El Paso Branch of |
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the NAACP and serves on the El Paso Community College Diversity |
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Council, on the board of the McCall Neighborhood Center, and on the |
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UT-El Paso College of Liberal Arts Advisory Board; demonstrating |
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his concern for young Texans, he has served as president of the |
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Pebble Hills Elementary PTA, and he volunteered for the Juvenile |
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Drug Court of the 409th District Court; in 2007, he established the |
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Donald L. Williams Endowed Student Enhancement Fund at UT-El Paso; |
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he is a charter member of St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church and |
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has served in a number of capacities, including chair of the church |
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board; and |
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WHEREAS, The recipient of myriad accolades, Mr. Williams was |
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accorded the inaugural President's Award of the El Paso Branch of |
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the NAACP in 2007 and received that organization's Community |
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Service Award the following year; he has received both the Majority |
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Builder Award and the Grassroots Award from the State Democratic |
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Executive Committee, and he has been recognized by the El Paso |
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Commission for Women for his community service; and |
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WHEREAS, Don Williams has led the Black El Paso Democrats |
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with enormous energy, talent, and dedication, and he has set an |
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example of civic engagement to which others may aspire; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Donald Leon Williams for his service as |
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chair of the Black El Paso Democrats and extend to him sincere best |
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wishes for 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. Williams as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Gonzalez |
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Marquez |
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Quintanilla |
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Pickett |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1775 was adopted by the House on May |
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19, 2011, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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