Bill Text: TX HR172 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Honoring Lisa Benford for her exemplary service to the people of the Lone Star State on the occasion of her retirement from the Texas Legislative Council.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-01-21 - Filed [HR172 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HR172-Introduced.html
| 82R5577 CBE-D | ||
| By: Isaac | H.R. No. 172 | |
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| WHEREAS, Elissa Benford has exemplified the finest qualities | ||
| of public service for the past 20 years, and though her retirement | ||
| from the Texas Legislative Council on January 31, 2011, brings to a | ||
| close her work in state government, she will continue her work in | ||
| the community, where she has already made a lasting difference in | ||
| the lives of countless individuals; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A former banking executive, Lisa Benford joined the | ||
| TLC in 1990 as a redistricting analyst and today holds the post of | ||
| research specialist; her myriad duties have included tracking and | ||
| processing election data, training new employees, and serving as a | ||
| council liaison to the office of the Texas secretary of state and to | ||
| county election officials; in each of these areas, Lisa has earned | ||
| the respect and admiration of many for her knowledge, skill, and | ||
| exceptional dedication to customer service; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Lisa has helped innumerable Texans outside the | ||
| workplace as well through her philanthropic endeavors; in 1996, she | ||
| founded Lisa's H.O.P.E. Chest, and the nonprofit has since provided | ||
| business attire and other assistance to thousands of area residents | ||
| transitioning to employment; in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, she | ||
| was contacted by the Austin Police Department to help organize | ||
| donations, and over the course of six weeks, Lisa and others | ||
| distributed seven airplane hangars' worth of supplies to some 8,000 | ||
| evacuees; she has carried out a number of significant community | ||
| projects in her native Rockdale, too, such as the establishment of a | ||
| home-ownership program and the purchase and restoration of the | ||
| town's oldest African American residence, which now hosts civic | ||
| events and offers accommodations to visiting families; Lisa was | ||
| also instrumental in securing funds to establish a park in the | ||
| town's African American community; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Lisa was honored with a Daily Point of Light Award | ||
| for all she has done to help people rebuild their lives, and in 2009 | ||
| she was invited to a special forum with Presidents George H. W. Bush | ||
| and Barack Obama that celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Point | ||
| of Light program; the many other accolades bestowed on her include | ||
| the Outstanding Community Involvement Award from the State Agency | ||
| Council of the Office of the Governor, the Humanitarian and | ||
| Volunteer of the Year Awards from the Texas Department of Health and | ||
| Human Services, the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Austin Area | ||
| Urban League, and a Five Who Care Award from television station | ||
| KVUE; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Now poised to begin a new chapter in her life, Lisa | ||
| is busy charting goals for the future; her plans include | ||
| transforming the old Aycock High School in Rockdale into a | ||
| community center and teaching classes in healthy cooking to area | ||
| children; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In all her endeavors, Lisa enjoys the love and | ||
| support of her husband of 32 years, Thurmond Benson, her children, | ||
| Lucretia, Sedria, and Mark, and her grandchildren, Farrah, Brierra, | ||
| Braxton, Paris, Makala, Rachael, Zophia, Mark, and Anehi; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Lisa's coworkers at the council will sorely miss her | ||
| cheerful smile and can-do spirit, but their dismay at her departure | ||
| is somewhat tempered by the knowledge that if she can accomplish so | ||
| much toward the greater good while working full-time, her capacity | ||
| to change lives for the better is about to be magnified a hundred | ||
| times over; seldom has any retirement held such rich and joyous | ||
| promise; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby honor Lisa Benford for her exemplary service to | ||
| the people of the Lone Star State on the occasion of her retirement | ||
| from the Texas Legislative Council and extend to her sincere best | ||
| wishes for all the happiness and good fortune she so richly | ||
| deserves; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for Ms. Benford as an expression of high regard by the | ||
| Texas House of Representatives. | ||
