| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Dr. Matthew Steven Tejada of Houston has been |
|
|
selected to serve as director of the Environmental Protection |
|
|
Agency Office of Environmental Justice; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, A native of Fort Worth, Dr. Tejada attended The |
|
|
University of Texas at Austin, where his high marks earned him |
|
|
induction into the Texas Alpha Chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa |
|
|
National Honor Society; in 2000, he graduated magna cum laude with a |
|
|
bachelor's degree in English and enlisted in the Peace Corps for two |
|
|
years; he subsequently resumed his studies at St. Antony's College |
|
|
at the University of Oxford, where he earned a master's degree in |
|
|
Russian and East European studies in 2004 and a doctorate in history |
|
|
two years later; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, On returning to Austin, Dr. Tejada joined the Texas |
|
|
Public Interest Research Group and served as an advocate on a range |
|
|
of consumer rights issues; shortly thereafter, in 2007, he was |
|
|
appointed executive director of the Galveston-Houston Association |
|
|
for Smog Prevention (GHASP), with the unanimous approval of the |
|
|
board; seeing the opportunity to expand the organization's scope |
|
|
and influence, he orchestrated the merger of GHASP with Mothers for |
|
|
Clean Air to form Air Alliance Houston (AAH), which he has ably led |
|
|
for the past several years; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In his capacity as head of AAH, Dr. Tejada has guided |
|
|
research, education, and advocacy efforts, while forging statewide |
|
|
alliances and winning the support of prominent figures for the |
|
|
group's initiatives; deeply devoted to the cause of ensuring clean |
|
|
air for all Texans, he helped mobilize low-income and minority |
|
|
communities, which have been disproportionately affected by |
|
|
problems associated with industrial waste; in addition, he worked |
|
|
to reduce hot spots of toxic air pollutants along the Houston Ship |
|
|
Channel and helped launch a website that allows Houston residents |
|
|
to check smog levels at specific locations in real time; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Dr. Tejada has drawn |
|
|
inspiration from the love of his wife, Denitsa, and their daughter, |
|
|
Nia; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Dr. Tejada has helped build safer, healthier |
|
|
communities while earning widespread recognition as a leader in the |
|
|
campaign for responsible environmental policy, and the experience |
|
|
that he has gained is sure to be of immense benefit as he continues |
|
|
his important work at the national level; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby congratulate Dr. Matthew Tejada on his selection |
|
|
as director of the Environmental Protection Agency Office of |
|
|
Environmental Justice and extend to him sincere best wishes for |
|
|
continued success; and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
|
prepared for Dr. Tejada as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
|
|
House of Representatives. |