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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Dallas city manager Mary K. Suhm is retiring in 2013 |
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from a remarkable career in public service that has spanned three |
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and a half decades; and |
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WHEREAS, Appointed city manager in 2005, Ms. Suhm has worked |
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tirelessly to improve quality of life for her fellow citizens while |
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putting municipal finances on a firmer footing and making |
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government more responsive; she set a goal for increasing the |
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number of police officers, leading to a dramatic decrease in the |
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crime rate, and during her tenure, downtown Dallas has undergone a |
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renaissance; moreover, she helped redefine the city's skyline |
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through her role in the construction of the Margaret Hunt Hill |
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Bridge, designed by renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, and in |
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the thoughtful revitalization of West Dallas; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Suhm has skillfully guided the progress of a |
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number of complex, long-range projects, among them the completion |
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of the much anticipated convention center hotel; her |
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accomplishments include the agreement to bring a championship golf |
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course to an impoverished area, the installation of miles of trails |
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and bicycle lanes, and the public-private partnerships resulting in |
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Klyde Warren Park and the Perot Museum, world-class facilities that |
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have connected the Arts District and Uptown and have energized the |
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urban character of the city center; known for her collaborative |
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style, clear focus, and organizational acumen, she proved her |
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mettle soon after taking office when Hurricane Katrina sent to |
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Dallas a stream of evacuees needing food, shelter, and a wide range |
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of support services; and |
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WHEREAS, Having dedicated her career to the city, Ms. Suhm |
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has played a central part in many significant developments over the |
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years, among them the Latino Cultural Center and the Dallas |
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Performing Arts Center; she has been a catalyst in the |
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game-changing Trinity River project for decades, and her continuing |
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emphasis on customer service and accountability has been reflected |
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in the introduction of performance measurement, strategic |
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planning, and other business best practices to the municipal |
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system; and |
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WHEREAS, Before becoming city manager, Ms. Suhm served in |
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such key executive positions as interim city manager, first |
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assistant city manager, and director of courts; with her selection |
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as the executive assistant director of the Dallas Police |
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Department, she became the first woman to serve as its top civilian |
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executive; she holds a bachelor's degree from Lamar University and |
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master's degrees in business and library science from the |
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University of North Texas, and she briefly taught school prior to |
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joining the city as a librarian; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan has received myriad accolades, |
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including the Centennial Award from the YMCA of Metropolitan |
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Dallas, the Spirit of the Centennial Award from the Friends of Fair |
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Park, the Kessler Award from the Greater Dallas Planning Council, |
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and the Jubilee History Maker Award from the Dallas Historical |
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Society; in addition, she has been named Woman of the Year and |
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Public Administrator of the Year; and |
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WHEREAS, Mary Suhm has earned a national reputation for |
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innovation in public administration, and her visionary leadership |
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and selfless dedication have made Dallas a safer and more vibrant |
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place in which to live and work; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Mary Suhm on her retirement as city |
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manager of Dallas and extend to her sincere best wishes for the |
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future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Suhm as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |