SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1171

WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to recognize Deborah Kay Bennight on the occasion of her retirement from the Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts on May 30, 2011, after more than 30 years of loyal service; and

WHEREAS, Deborah Bennight began her career in the comptroller's office on July 7, 1980, in the Word Processing Division; at the time, word processing was the main communications center for the agency; Debbie excelled in her work and was recognized for her teamwork and cooperation skills; and

WHEREAS, She transferred to the Fiscal Management Division in December of 1995 and immediately made an impact in the division by implementing process improvements in several areas; her logical approach and methodical implementation were noticed, and she was promoted to supervisor in September of 1997; and

WHEREAS, Debbie was the kind of supervisor who was always ready to pitch in and work on any task; her organizational skills and attention to detail helped her streamline many processes that are still in use today; and

WHEREAS, She also recognized early on the need to keep up with technological change; she eagerly learned how to create Internet websites and eventually earned the title of web administrator; in 2000, she proposed changing the Notice to State Agency process from paper-based to electronic notification, saving the agency $90,000 that fiscal year; she was also instrumental in the successful implementation of direct deposit for state vendors and recipients; and

WHEREAS, She returned to the documentation area in December of 2009 and in her 16 months there completed 118 website projects and contributed greatly to making the agency's entire website accessible to people with disabilities; a model of efficiency and dedication, Debbie earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues, and her presence in the Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts will be greatly missed; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd Legislature, hereby commend Deborah Kay Bennight for her outstanding service and her many contributions to our state; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for her as an expression of esteem from the Texas Senate. Watson

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on May 24, 2011.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate