Bill Text: MS HC10 | 2016 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Teresa B. Tiller; commend on retirement after long and distinguished career as Director of House Legislative Services Office.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2016-02-01 - Enrolled Bill Signed [HC10 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2016-HC10-Enrolled.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2016 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Representative Bennett
House Concurrent Resolution 10
(As Adopted by House and Senate)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING TERESA BECK TILLER,
LONG-TIME DIRECTOR OF THE LEGISLATIVE SERVICES OFFICE OF THE MISSISSIPPI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, ON HER RETIREMENT AND EXPRESSING SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR HER MANY YEARS OF OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVICE TO THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
WHEREAS, on June 30, 2015, Teresa Beck Tiller of Jackson, Mississippi, a highly respected and talented attorney, whose many years of wise counsel, unwavering loyalty and commitment to excellence made her a fixture in the Mississippi State Capitol, retired from her long and distinguished legal career after rendering 26 years of exceptional leadership as the Director of the Legislative Services Office of the Mississippi House of Representatives and a total of more than 35 years of outstanding public service to the Legislature and the State of Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, born in Jennings, Louisiana, and raised in Baton Rouge, Teresa, the oldest of four children, was taught from an early age to appreciate the importance of education and the values of respect, hard work and always striving to do her best by her mother who was a professor at Louisiana State University, the late Frances W. Beck, and father, William D. Beck, Jr., a geophysical engineer and attorney; and
WHEREAS, in the spring of 1972, after graduating early from St. Joseph's Academy, Teresa enrolled at LSU, where she was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority, and during her undergraduate years, Teresa broadened her educational experience by traveling overseas to study the French language at the University of Grenoble in France before enrolling in the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center and being awarded a bachelor of art's degree from LSU upon completing her first year of law school in 1976; and
WHEREAS, after earning her juris doctorate degree from LSU and being admitted to the Louisiana Bar in 1978, Teresa practiced law in the private sector in Metairie and New Orleans until 1980 when she relocated to Jackson, gained admittance to The Mississippi Bar and was hired to work in the House Legislative Services Office, thereby beginning, unbeknownst to her at that time, what would become a highly respected career that as of her retirement, spanned well over half her lifetime; and
WHEREAS, during the 1980s, Teresa, then committee counsel to the House Judiciary A, Judiciary B and Elections Committees, experienced some of her most enjoyable years as a House attorney, and while Teresa ultimately wrote and counseled legislators on countless significant pieces of legislation which shaped public policy in Mississippi, one of her most memorable tasks was drafting the Election Code of 1986 and traveling to Washington, D.C., to represent the Legislature before the United States Department of Justice in order to secure the landmark legislation's approval under the Voting Rights Act of 1965; and
WHEREAS, Teresa's untiring work ethic and standard of excellence, along with her natural affinity for the unique legal work of a legislative attorney and proven loyalty to the House, did not go unnoticed, and in June 1989, Teresa was tapped to be the Director of the Legislative Services Office under then
newly-elected Speaker Tim Ford; and
WHEREAS, intent on improving both the efficiency and quality of the overall work product of the LSO in her early years as director, Teresa focused on transforming the mentality of the staff into that of a team comprised of different players working together toward a common goal, and as a means to that end, she established the current system of referring bill requests to the attorneys who collectively work weekends and late evening hours, assisting each other when necessary, in order to maintain steady progress toward meeting the daunting task of successfully preparing nearly 2,000 House bills before the annual legislative deadline for the introduction of those bills; and
WHEREAS, Teresa, always striving to improve her leadership skills while advancing the legal profession in the public sector and particularly, in the legislative arena, was an active committee member and leader in several prominent organizations, including: the Council of State Governments, as a graduate of the prestigious Henry Toll Fellowship Program; the Uniform Law Commission, to which she was initially appointed a Commissioner in 1988 and elected to Life Member status in 2009; the Southern Legislative Conference, which she served as the chair of the Legislative Services Agency Directors Group; and the National Conference of State Legislatures, as a 1991 graduate of the Legislative Staff Management Institute and the recipient of the 2002 Legislative Staff Achievement Award; and
WHEREAS, having a personal interest in the well-being of her coworkers in the Capitol and the hundreds of House members for whom she worked, Teresa, always thoughtful and caring of others, consistently took time to learn about their families and acknowledge the significant events in their lives, and her unparalleled ability to build trusting relationships with all House members, regardless of their diverse backgrounds or stature in the Legislature, facilitated the LSO in continuously maintaining its nonpartisan status and integrity through the many transitions that occurred in the House throughout her tenure; and
WHEREAS, when not engaged in the business of the House, Teresa, an avid tennis player who was captain of her United States Tennis Association League team, used the same leadership skills and zeal to succeed which built the LSO team to successfully motivate and lead her tennis squad to at least five state championship wins that earned the players the rare opportunity to represent Mississippi in the USTA League regional playoffs; and
WHEREAS, over the years, Teresa has selflessly volunteered countless hours working to better her community and state as a member of the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson, a board member and president of the Tri-County Community Tennis Association and a board member and vice-president of the Mississippi Tennis Association; and
WHEREAS, in 2010, the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau selected Teresa to receive the Hometown Hero Award, an honor presented to her in recognition of her exceptional leadership of the tennis community in securing a location and hosting the
2009-2010 USTA Southern Sectional Mixed Doubles Championship Tournament in the Jackson area, an event which brought hundreds of visitors to the area, creating a positive economic impact for Hinds, Madison and Rankin Counties; and
WHEREAS, while her decision to officially say goodbye to the Mississippi House of Representatives was not made lightly, Teresa and her husband, Larry –- the true love of her life who, for over 32 years, has been her number one supporter, encourager, calming influence through stormy times, source of joy and laughter with his quick-witted sense of humor, and endless provider of delectable meals -- are enjoying traveling and spending much more time with their family and many friends, and they especially anticipate cheering their beloved LSU Tigers onto championship wins on both the gridiron and baseball diamond; and
WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to acknowledge outstanding Mississippians such as Teresa Beck Tiller, one we are proud to call our own, whose daily presence in the halls of the Capitol is sorely missed but whose legacy of selflessness, fairness, hard work, professionalism, volunteerism and overall commitment to improving the individual lives of others and her community, state and the entire country has made an indelible mark on the Mississippi Legislature and all those who have been privileged to know and work with her:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend Teresa Beck Tiller, longtime Director of the Legislative Services Office of the Mississippi House of Representatives, on the occasion of her June 30, 2015, retirement and express to her our sincerest gratitude for her many years of dedicated service to the State of Mississippi.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we do hereby extend our most heartfelt wishes to our dear friend Teresa for a long and
joy-filled retirement marked by many years of good health, peace and continued success in all her future endeavors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Teresa B. Tiller and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.
