SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 592

In Memory

of

Suzanne McDaniel

WHEREAS, Countless lives were touched by the pioneering work of Suzanne McDaniel, a tireless advocate for the rights of crime victims and witnesses, who passed away on May 21, 2012, at the age of 59; and

WHEREAS, This compassionate Texan fought to reform the criminal justice system during an era when the needs of victims and witnesses were often overlooked; at the time of her death, she was working as the first director of victim services for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association; and

WHEREAS, Born in Houston on January 7, 1953, Suzanne McDaniel was the daughter of Annie Mae Bucy McDaniel and Marion Embree McDaniel; she studied English literature and art at Southwestern University in Georgetown and earned her bachelor's degree in 1974; and

WHEREAS, She subsequently joined the Harris County District Attorney's Office, where she implemented the state's first prosecutor-based victim assistance program under the direction of district attorney Carol Vance; she was also involved in the development of the county's first community interagency councils on sexual assault and family violence as well as the first rape exam protocol for the Houston Hospital and Medical Associations; and

WHEREAS, After a decade with the district attorney's office, Suzanne McDaniel relocated to Austin in 1983 to establish the Texas Crime Victim Clearinghouse, the first statewide resource of its kind in the nation; she served as its director for eight years, during which time she wrote a number of groundbreaking reports on crime victims and coordinated educational and training conferences for victims, advocates, and allied professionals; and

WHEREAS, She was later tapped to serve the Office of the Attorney General as the victim assistance and communications director for its Crime Victim Services Division; acting as a legislative liaison in that post and others, she played a key role in the drafting and passage of such reforms as the Texas Constitutional Amendment on Crime Victim Rights, the Texas Crime Victims' Compensation Act, and the Texas Crime Victims Bill of Rights; and

WHEREAS, Suzanne McDaniel worked to bring the issue to the national stage by coordinating field hearings for President Reagan's Task Force on Victims of Crime, launched in 1984; she remained at the forefront of the national victims' rights movement as a member of the board of the National Organization for Victim Assistance for more than a decade in addition to sharing her time with other major advocacy groups; and

WHEREAS, In 1995, Bill Clinton presented her with the President's Award for Outstanding Service to Victims of Crime in recognition of her efforts to guide victims through the recovery process; among the numerous other accolades she received is the Citation of Merit from her alma mater in 2003; moreover, the Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus Award was rechristened the Suzanne McDaniel Public Awareness Award in 2008; and

WHEREAS, Despite her vast experience and unquestionable expertise, Suzanne McDaniel seldom sought attention for her accomplishments, instead using her resources to comfort, assist, and empower victims to maneuver through the criminal justice system and to rebuild their lives; although her loss is keenly felt, the grace, determination, and selflessness with which she lived her life will continue to inspire others for many years to come; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Suzanne McDaniel and extend sincere condolences to her bereaved family: her brother, Marion McDaniel, Jr., and his wife, Mary; her nephews, Mark McDaniel and Marion McDaniel III, and Marion's wife, Valerie, and daughter, Nathalie; and her other relatives and many friends; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for her family as an expression of deepest sympathy, and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Suzanne McDaniel.

Huffman

________________________________

President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on April 22, 2013, by a rising vote.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate