Bill Text: TX HR1145 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Honoring Graham Weston for his outstanding contributions to San Antonio.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2013-04-12 - Reported enrolled [HR1145 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HR1145-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Honoring Graham Weston for his outstanding contributions to San Antonio.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2013-04-12 - Reported enrolled [HR1145 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HR1145-Introduced.html
83R9954 JWI-D | ||
By: Martinez Fischer | H.R. No. 1145 |
|
||
WHEREAS, Through his innovation and philanthropy, Graham | ||
Weston is helping to make San Antonio an even better place in which | ||
to live and work; and | ||
WHEREAS, Born and raised in the area, Mr. Weston has been an | ||
entrepreneur since seventh grade, when he formed a business | ||
marketing organic pork; he continued creating new ventures during | ||
high school and later as a student at Texas A&M University; after | ||
graduating, he entered the real estate market, and at the age of 28, | ||
he led a group of investors to acquire and develop a 30-story office | ||
building in downtown San Antonio; now known as the Weston Centre, | ||
the property houses some of the city's best-known companies; and | ||
WHEREAS, Mr. Weston and a partner later provided the original | ||
capital for a business idea pitched by three Trinity University | ||
students; the resulting company, Rackspace, hosts computing and | ||
cloud computing services and has become a global leader in the | ||
industry; as the former CEO and current chairman, Mr. Weston has | ||
overseen Rackspace's growth in the Alamo City, where today it | ||
employs more than 4,000 people; and | ||
WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan is also involved in numerous | ||
projects to revitalize the city's urban core; he is one of the | ||
tri-chairs of the SA2020 community process, a long-term planning | ||
initiative to address education, transportation, and downtown | ||
development issues in the city, and he cofounded Geekdom, a | ||
workspace where technologists, developers, entrepreneurs, and | ||
creative thinkers collaborate to build new businesses; and | ||
WHEREAS, Equally admired for his philanthropy, Mr. Weston | ||
converted one of his vacant properties into a temporary shelter for | ||
more than 2,500 refugees of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; moreover, | ||
he and Rackspace employees have donated $2 million in grants toward | ||
improving local schools, providing supplies, and funding mentoring | ||
programs, including SparkEd, a series of weekend camps for seventh | ||
and eighth graders focused on technology and entrepreneurialism; | ||
and | ||
WHEREAS, Mr. Weston is the recipient of many honors, among | ||
them the 2011 International Citizen of the Year Award from the World | ||
Affairs Council of San Antonio and the 2011 Conn Family | ||
Entrepreneurial Leadership Award; in addition, he was selected as | ||
Regional Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young and named a "Best | ||
Boss" by Fortune Small Business magazine; and | ||
WHEREAS, Graham Weston's enthusiasm, drive, and dedication | ||
to the city he's proud to call home have immeasurably benefited his | ||
fellow residents, and he is an inspiration to future leaders | ||
throughout the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas | ||
Legislature hereby honor Graham Weston for his outstanding | ||
contributions to San Antonio and extend to him sincere best wishes | ||
for continued success; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
prepared for Mr. Weston as an expression of high regard by the Texas | ||
House of Representatives. |