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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Bertha Venegas of the National Resources |
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Conservation Service is the 2020 recipient of the agency's National |
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Individual Civil Rights Award; and |
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WHEREAS, Originally known as the Soil Conservation Service, |
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the NRCS is a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that |
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provides farmers and ranchers with assistance in making |
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conservation improvements to their land; the National Individual |
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Civil Rights Award recognizes a person who has made a significant |
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contribution to the agency's civil rights program; and |
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WHEREAS, Growing up on a cattle ranch in Eagle Pass, Bertha |
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Venegas raised show lambs and won college scholarships from the |
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Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; after earning her bachelor's |
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degree in agriculture at Southwest Texas State University, she |
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joined the SCS in 1988 and began her career as a technician in her |
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hometown; she was promoted to district conservationist in Johnson |
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City, and in 1997, she became an NRCS resource conservation and |
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development coordinator in San Antonio; appointed as a state |
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outreach specialist in 2011, she now works out of the field office |
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in Boerne; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Venegas has served as acting national Hispanic |
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Emphasis Program manager, and she focuses her efforts on |
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historically underserved farmers and ranchers; in 2018, she |
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established the Texas Urban and Rural Conservation Project and |
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Project G.R.E.E.N. (Growing Roots for Education, Environment, and |
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Nutrition), a grant program directed at schools; in 2020, she |
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oversaw the distribution of more than $175,000 through TURCP and |
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$112,000 through Project G.R.E.E.N.; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Venegas has won the National Individual Civil |
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Rights Award once before, in 1997, and she has also been recognized |
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as Outstanding RC&D Coordinator for the Southwest Region of RC&D |
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Councils and received Visionary and Leadership Awards from the |
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National Organization of Professional Hispanic NRCS Employees, as |
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well as a Service Award from the Latinos in Agriculture |
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organization; in addition to her post in Boerne, she is also Farm |
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Production and Conservation beginning farmer and rancher |
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coordinator for Texas, advisor to the Texas Civil Rights Advisory |
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Committee, and the Texas limited English proficiency coordinator; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Bertha Venegas's dedication, expertise, and |
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commitment to civil rights outreach have greatly benefited the |
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farmers and ranchers of the Lone Star State, and she may indeed take |
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great pride in this prestigious recognition of her many |
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achievements; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Bertha Venegas on her receipt of |
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the National Individual Civil Rights Award and extend to her |
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sincere best wishes for continued success in her important work; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Venegas as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Morales of Maverick |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 298 was adopted by the House on March |
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18, 2021, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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