89R10764 DSH-D
 
  By: Lopez of Cameron H.R. No. 84
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Michael Kester is retiring as chief of the Harlingen
  Police Department on February 4, 2025, drawing to a close an
  exemplary tenure with the agency that has spanned 35 years; and
         WHEREAS, Chief Kester began his law enforcement career with
  the Harlingen Police Department in 1990, and he was promoted to
  sergeant in 1993, to lieutenant in 2001, and to captain in 2003;
  after serving as interim chief for six months in 2011, he was named
  deputy chief in 2012, and three years later, he was appointed
  assistant chief/chief of staff; and
         WHEREAS, Since 2019, he has served as chief of police,
  overseeing the entire department, which includes 144 sworn officers
  and 53 civilian personnel; over the course of his distinguished
  career, Chief Kester has spent more than 23 years in executive
  leadership roles, and he has worked in nearly every division of the
  department, including patrol, training, records, support services,
  criminal investigations, and the city jail; and
         WHEREAS, An alumnus of Unity College in Maine, Chief Kester
  went on to graduate from the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement
  Management Institute of Texas and the Leadership Command College at
  Sam Houston State University, and in 2019 he completed the Texas
  Certified Public Manager Program at The University of Texas Rio
  Grande Valley; in all his endeavors, he has enjoyed the love and
  support of his wife, Debora, and their 4 children and 11
  grandchildren; and
         WHEREAS, Chief Kester's dynamic leadership and commitment to
  excellence have greatly benefited the citizens of Harlingen and
  earned him the respect and admiration of his fellow officers, and he
  may indeed reflect with pride on a career well spent as he embarks
  on the next exciting chapter of his life; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
  Legislature hereby congratulate Chief Michael Kester on his
  retirement from the Harlingen Police Department and extend to him
  sincere appreciation for his many years of dedicated service; and,
  be it further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for Chief Kester as an expression of high regard by the
  Texas House of Representatives.