Bill Text: TX HR582 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: In memory of Devoyd "Dee" Jennings of Fort Worth.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-03-30 - Reported enrolled [HR582 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HR582-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 582 | ||
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| WHEREAS, The passing of admired civic leader Devoyd Jennings | ||
| of Fort Worth on July 24, 2021, at the age of 73, brought a great | ||
| loss to his family and friends; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Born in Los Angeles, California, on September 10, | ||
| 1947, "Dee" Jennings was the son of William and Margaret Jennings; | ||
| he grew up in Fort Worth and attended I. M. Terrell High School and | ||
| Tarrant County Community College before completing his bachelor's | ||
| degree in marketing at Texas Wesleyan University; in 1973, he began | ||
| working for Texas Electric as a consumer specialist, and during his | ||
| noteworthy 27-year career with the company, he became its first | ||
| African American lobbyist; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mr. Jennings was involved in many business and civic | ||
| organizations and served as president and CEO of the Fort Worth | ||
| Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce; he was instrumental in its | ||
| establishment of two leadership programs, Paths Forward and BRIDGE; | ||
| in addition, he helped create two standalone organizations that | ||
| directly benefit minority development, the William Mann Jr. | ||
| Community Development Corporation and Southeast Fort Worth | ||
| Incorporated; he further served as chair of the North Texas Tollway | ||
| Authority's Business Diversity Advisory Committee and worked | ||
| tirelessly with public officials and others to advance minority- | ||
| and women-owned businesses; deeply committed to education, he was a | ||
| member of the board of Texas Wesleyan University for nearly two | ||
| decades; he successfully championed the refurbishing of his old | ||
| elementary school, G. W. Carver, and the reopening of I. M. Terrell | ||
| as a STEM and performing arts academy; moreover, he was an active | ||
| alumnus of the I. M. Terrell Class of 1966; the recipient of | ||
| numerous accolades, he was honored by the City of Fort Worth in 1992 | ||
| and 2005 with proclamations of Devoyd Jennings Day; he was also | ||
| recognized three times by the Fort Worth Business Press, most | ||
| recently with a 2017 Minority Leaders in Business Award; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Devoted to his family, Mr. Jennings shared a | ||
| fulfilling 41-year marriage with his wife, Gwen; he took great | ||
| pride in his 5 children, Charles, Robert, Demeka, Carla, and | ||
| Sharla, as well as his 11 grandchildren, Gerome, Jasmine, Jordan, | ||
| Isis, Kyzier, Zion, Anthony, Dominique, Lala, Jared, and Yancy, and | ||
| his great-granddaughter, Princess; in his free time, he enjoyed | ||
| listening to jazz and playing basketball; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Dee Jennings gave freely of his time and expertise | ||
| to better his community, and his record of service will be a lasting | ||
| source of inspiration to all who were privileged to know him; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Devoyd "Dee" Jennings | ||
| and extend sincere condolences to his loved ones; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of | ||
| Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Dee | ||
| Jennings. | ||
| Collier | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 582 was unanimously adopted by a | ||
| rising vote of the House on March 30, 2023. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
