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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Heider Garcia is concluding his exemplary tenure as |
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Tarrant County elections administrator on June 23, 2023; and |
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WHEREAS, Widely recognized as a leader in his field, |
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Mr. Garcia was hired by Tarrant County in 2018; he implemented the |
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new Electronic Poll Book platform, advanced the process for |
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purchasing new voting equipment, and successfully advocated for |
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adoption of the Vote Centers model of voting, also known as |
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countywide polling; in 2020, Tarrant County earned an Achievement |
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Award from the National Association of Counties in the category of |
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Information Technology for Modernizing Election Systems; and |
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WHEREAS, Under Mr. Garcia's leadership as administrator, the |
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county also received positive reviews from a state audit of the 2020 |
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voting process, and former Texas Secretary of State John B. Scott |
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praised his performance as a model for all to emulate; Mr. Garcia |
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has demonstrated a great willingness to address the concerns of |
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citizens, answering their questions and welcoming them to tour |
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elections facilities and review records; he serves as vice |
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president of the Texas Association of Elections Administrators; and |
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WHEREAS, Previously, Mr. Garcia was the elections manager |
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for Placer County, California, and he served as election systems |
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manager for the project team that ran the 2010 automated elections |
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in the Philippines, a country of more than 50 million registered |
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voters; he was responsible for customizing the technology, |
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certifying the solution under VVSG standards in the United States, |
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and ensuring total compliance with local legislation; at the end of |
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the project, he responded to the information requests from the |
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nation's legislative oversight committees; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Pennsylvania, Mr. Garcia earned his |
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bachelor's degree in computer engineering from Simon Bolivar |
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University in his parents' native Venezuela; he began working as a |
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software developer for a company that entered the elections |
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business, and he was placed in charge of voting machine deployment |
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and certification for 12 nationwide election processes; and |
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WHEREAS, Heider Garcia has greatly benefited residents of |
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Tarrant County through his skill, expertise, and steadfast |
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dedication to the efficiency, accuracy, and transparency of the |
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elections process, and his contributions have earned the admiration |
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of citizens and professional colleagues alike, in Tarrant County |
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and beyond; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Heider Garcia for his outstanding service |
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as Tarrant County elections administrator and extend to him sincere |
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best wishes for continued success in his endeavors; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Garcia as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |