Bill Text: TX HR559 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Congratulating the Honorable Val Clark Beard on her retirement as Brewster County judge.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Passed) 2015-03-17 - Reported enrolled [HR559 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HR559-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 559 | ||
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| WHEREAS, The Honorable Val Clark Beard retired as county | ||
| judge of Brewster County in January 2014, drawing to a close an | ||
| exceptional tenure of 20 years in that office; and | ||
| WHEREAS, After earning both her bachelor's degree and her | ||
| J.D. from The University of Texas at Austin, Judge Beard moved to | ||
| Brewster County in 1973 with her husband, Tom, to operate the Beard | ||
| family ranch, Leoncita, and to open a law practice, Beard & Beard; | ||
| in 1983, she was named to fill an unexpired term as county attorney, | ||
| and she went on to serve for eight years in that office; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Appointed Brewster County judge in 1993, Judge Beard | ||
| was subsequently elected to five consecutive terms; her duties | ||
| included various judicial responsibilities, and she never had a | ||
| decision reversed during her 20 years on the court; as the highest | ||
| elected county official, Judge Beard was also responsible for | ||
| preparing the county budget and for overseeing county finances, | ||
| emergency management, and the day-to-day operations of county | ||
| government; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Under Judge Beard's leadership, the commissioners | ||
| court took a number of significant actions to improve public | ||
| services and to develop the county's infrastructure; the court | ||
| built three fire stations, a jail, offices for law enforcement | ||
| personnel, and a community center, and it also preserved three | ||
| historic public buildings by renovating them for use as county | ||
| office space; in addition, the court created a groundwater district | ||
| to protect scarce water resources, an emergency services district | ||
| to serve the southern part of the county, and a county tourism | ||
| council to administer the hotel/motel tax; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Judge Beard has played a vital role in many other | ||
| positions of leadership as well, serving as president of the Rio | ||
| Grande Council of Governments, as chair of the area's Tri County | ||
| Juvenile Board, and as a member of the Texas Border Security | ||
| Council, to name but a few of the posts she has held; in February | ||
| 2014, Governor Rick Perry appointed her to lead the Rio Grande | ||
| Regional Review Committee; and | ||
| WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan and her husband take pride in a | ||
| family that includes their daughter, Mary Beard Duncan, son-in-law, | ||
| Mike Duncan, and grandson, Tad Duncan; with greater leisure now at | ||
| her command, Judge Beard is enjoying spending more time with her | ||
| loved ones and working on her ranch and in her garden and | ||
| greenhouse; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Val Clark Beard has made many significant | ||
| contributions to the betterment of life in Brewster County over the | ||
| course of her career as a public servant, and she may take | ||
| justifiable pride in her exemplary record of achievement; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Val Clark Beard on | ||
| her retirement as Brewster County judge and extend to her sincere | ||
| best wishes for the future; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for Judge Beard as an expression of high regard by the | ||
| Texas House of Representatives. | ||
| Nevárez | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 559 was adopted by the House on March | ||
| 5, 2015, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
