83R15228 BK-D

By: Davis of Dallas H.R. No. 1333

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Dr. Wright Lassiter, Jr., has announced plans to retire as chancellor of the Dallas County Community College District, drawing to a close a tenure marked by considerable progress and achievement; and

WHEREAS, The sixth chancellor to lead the district, Dr. Lassiter has presided over one of the largest community college systems in the state; since taking office in 2006, he has overseen a 20 percent increase in student enrollment and the completion of a $450 million bond program, which added five new campuses in fast-growing or underserved areas of Dallas County; the program has additionally funded the construction of an array of state-of-the-art facilities throughout the district's seven colleges, including several that have been recognized with architectural design and sustainability awards; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Lassiter studied business administration at Alcorn State University and Indiana University, earning undergraduate and master's degrees from those respective institutions, and he holds a doctorate in education from Auburn University; his extensive experience in university administration includes a 20-year tenure as president of El Centro College, a component of the DCCCD, and terms as president of Bishop College in Dallas and Schenectady County Community College in New York; he has additionally held posts managing business and financial matters at Morgan State University in Maryland and at Tuskegee University in Alabama; and

WHEREAS, Along with his professional endeavors, Dr. Lassiter has benefited the community through his work with many civic organizations; he has chaired the boards of both the Urban League of Greater Dallas and North Central Texas and the African American Museum, and he has served on the boards of Southwestern Medical Foundation, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, the YMCA Foundation, and the State Fair of Texas; he has also held a seat on the advisory boards at Baylor University and Auburn University, and in 2002 he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the National Advisory Council of the National Endowment for the Humanities; and

WHEREAS, This distinguished educator has received numerous accolades over the course of his career, among them the 2010 Russell H. Perry Free Enterprise Award from Dallas Baptist University, a prize that recognizes achievements in business and civic service; moreover, he has been elected to the Indiana University Academy of Alumni Fellows, and he was recently inducted into the African American Educators Hall of Fame in Dallas; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Lassiter's adept and forward-looking leadership has helped to guide the Dallas County Community College District through a transformative period in its history, and his many valuable contributions will continue to garner appreciation in the years to come; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Dr. Wright Lassiter, Jr., on his forthcoming retirement as chancellor of the Dallas County Community College District and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Dr. Lassiter as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.