TITLE: Honoring Rick Williams for his service on the Garland City Council.

SUMMARY: Honoring Rick Williams for his service on the Garland City Council.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Residents of Garland have greatly benefited from the leadership of Rick Williams, who has served as a city council member for three terms; and WHEREAS, Elected to the city council in 2007, Mr. Williams was chosen the following year to serve as mayor pro tempore; during his six years on the council, he has chaired the audit committee and represented Garland in the Emergency Preparedness Department of the North Central Texas Council of Governments; and WHEREAS, In addressing the issues that face his city, Mr. Williams has drawn on experience gained from extensive involvement in the community; he has served on a number of municipal bodies, including the Garland Parks and Recreation and Utility Advisory Boards, as well as held the offices of president, vice president, treasurer, and code chair of the Camelot Neighborhood Association; and WHEREAS, Born in Austin, Mr. Williams attended Texas A&M University, where he studied finance, lettered on the tennis team for three years, and belonged to the Corps of Cadets; after graduation, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army; during his three years in the military, he served as a helicopter pilot and also as a gunship platoon leader in Vietnam; he is a recipient of the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the Air Medal with "V" device, for valor; and WHEREAS, Mr. Williams was employed for 35 years at the Dallas Regional Office of the Social Security Administration; along the way, he earned a master's degree in management and administrative science from The University of Texas at Dallas; and WHEREAS, Seeking to develop his knowledge of plants and flowers, Mr. Williams took night classes at Richland College for five years and ultimately received an associate's degree in ornamental horticulture; certified by the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association, he volunteers at the Dallas Arboretum and serves as a call screener for Neil Sperry's Texas Gardening,a local radio show; he has also created and maintained a community garden on a vacant Garland lot; and WHEREAS, Rick Williams and his wife of 41 years, Janet Williams, take great pride in their two sons, Damon and Jeremy, and they have delighted in welcoming into their family a grandson, Ryan; and WHEREAS, A highly dedicated public servant, Rick Williams has helped to make Garland an even better place in which to live and work, and it is a pleasure to recognize this esteemed Texan for his outstanding commitment to his community; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby honor Rick Williams for his service on the Garland City Council and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Williams as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Button Burkett Sheets Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 283 was adopted by the House on February 18, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House