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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Honorable Val Clark Beard retired as county |
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judge of Brewster County in January 2014, drawing to a close an |
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exceptional tenure of 20 years in that office; and |
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WHEREAS, After earning both her bachelor's degree and her |
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J.D. from The University of Texas at Austin, Judge Beard moved to |
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Brewster County in 1973 with her husband, Tom, to operate the Beard |
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family ranch, Leoncita, and to open a law practice, Beard & Beard; |
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in 1983, she was named to fill an unexpired term as county attorney, |
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and she went on to serve for eight years in that office; and |
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WHEREAS, Appointed Brewster County judge in 1993, Judge Beard |
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was subsequently elected to five consecutive terms; her duties |
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included various judicial responsibilities, and she never had a |
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decision reversed during her 20 years on the court; as the highest |
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elected county official, Judge Beard was also responsible for |
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preparing the county budget and for overseeing county finances, |
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emergency management, and the day-to-day operations of county |
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government; and |
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WHEREAS, Under Judge Beard's leadership, the commissioners |
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court took a number of significant actions to improve public |
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services and to develop the county's infrastructure; the court |
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built three fire stations, a jail, offices for law enforcement |
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personnel, and a community center, and it also preserved three |
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historic public buildings by renovating them for use as county |
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office space; in addition, the court created a groundwater district |
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to protect scarce water resources, an emergency services district |
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to serve the southern part of the county, and a county tourism |
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council to administer the hotel/motel tax; and |
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WHEREAS, Judge Beard has played a vital role in many other |
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positions of leadership as well, serving as president of the Rio |
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Grande Council of Governments, as chair of the area's Tri County |
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Juvenile Board, and as a member of the Texas Border Security |
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Council, to name but a few of the posts she has held; in February |
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2014, Governor Rick Perry appointed her to lead the Rio Grande |
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Regional Review Committee; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan and her husband take pride in a |
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family that includes their daughter, Mary Beard Duncan, son-in-law, |
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Mike Duncan, and grandson, Tad Duncan; with greater leisure now at |
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her command, Judge Beard is enjoying spending more time with her |
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loved ones and working on her ranch and in her garden and |
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greenhouse; and |
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WHEREAS, Val Clark Beard has made many significant |
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contributions to the betterment of life in Brewster County over the |
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course of her career as a public servant, and she may take |
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justifiable pride in her exemplary record of achievement; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Val Clark Beard on |
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her retirement as Brewster County judge and extend to her sincere |
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best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Judge Beard as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |