Bill Text: TX SR90 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing Lisa Benford on the occasion of her retirement from the Texas Legislative Council.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Passed) 2011-01-26 - Reported enrolled [SR90 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-SR90-Enrolled.html
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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 Texas Legislative Council 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, Thurman Benford, 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 Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd | ||
| 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 Lisa Benford as an expression of high regard from | ||
| the Texas Senate. | ||
| Ogden | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| President of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that the | ||
| above Resolution was adopted by | ||
| the Senate on January 26, 2011. | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Member, Texas Senate | ||
