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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Attorney Susan C. Rocha of San Antonio passed away |
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on August 13, 2010, bringing a great loss to the nation's municipal |
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law community and to her loved ones; and |
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WHEREAS, The daughter of Connie and Rudy Rocha, Ms. Rocha was |
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born in San Antonio on November 14, 1950; she earned a bachelor's |
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degree in secondary education from the University of Dayton in Ohio |
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and a master's degree in urban education from Chicago State |
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University before graduating from The University of Texas School of |
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Law; a former history and geography teacher, she began her career in |
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public service in 1985 as an assistant city attorney for San |
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Antonio, and she later served as senior intergovernmental relations |
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officer for the United States Department of Housing and Urban |
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Development; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1989, Ms. Rocha became first assistant general |
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counsel for the Texas Municipal League in Austin, where she |
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represented municipal interests through her work with the state |
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legislature; at the request of the Texas attorney general she |
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created the first Office of Municipal Affairs to represent the |
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interests of Texas cities; in 1995, she established a very |
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successful practice as a city attorney representing cities across |
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the Lone Star State in governmental issues; a partner in the firm of |
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Denton, Navarro, Rocha & Bernal, P.C., she most recently served as |
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city attorney for Buda, Cibolo, Roma, and San Felipe, and as general |
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counsel to myriad public entities; over the course of a |
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quarter-century, she represented the interests of numerous |
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governmental bodies and advised hundreds of public officials and |
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their staffs; and |
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WHEREAS, Sharing her vast knowledge and expertise, Ms. Rocha |
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taught at St. Mary's Law School and served on the program faculty |
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for The University of Texas Land Use Planning Law Conferences; |
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moreover, she was a regular contributor to the continuing legal |
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education programs of The University of Texas and the State Bar of |
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Texas and spoke frequently at seminars and meetings of the Texas |
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City Attorneys Association, the Texas Municipal League, and other |
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organizations; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic professional served as president of the |
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Texas City Attorneys Association and of the International Municipal |
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Lawyers Association; the IMLA named her a local government fellow, |
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and she was a respected mentor to innumerable municipal lawyers |
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across the country; vibrant, witty, and caring, she made a positive |
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difference in many lives through her friendship as well as her |
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leadership; her passions included politics, the arts, culture, and |
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literature, and in her leisure time, she enjoyed hunting, fishing, |
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and travel; the proud aunt of nine nieces and nephews, she also took |
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an interest in the children of her friends and colleagues and |
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delighted them with her exuberance and wonderful sense of humor; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Those who were privileged to know Susan Rocha will |
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forever treasure their memories of time spent in her company, and |
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her wisdom and dedication will remain a source of inspiration for |
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years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Susan C. Rocha and |
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extend sincere sympathy to the members of her family: to her mother, |
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Connie Rocha; to her sisters, Angela Rocha and Martie Enriquez and |
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her husband, Bob; to her brothers, John Rocha and Tom Rocha and his |
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wife, Leesa; to her nieces and nephews, Sarah, Kati, and Morgan |
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Williams, Andrea, Vincent, and Michael Enriquez, and Eli, Luke, and |
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Erin Rocha; and to her many other relatives and friends; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Susan C. |
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Rocha. |