TITLE: Honoring William Bates Jr. of Houston for his public service.

SUMMARY: Honoring William Bates Jr. of Houston for his public service.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, William Bates Jr., a longtime Houston attorney, has demonstrated a notable commitment to the public good through his leadership and service; and WHEREAS, An alumnus of Ohio State University and a graduate of the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, "Randy" Bates works as managing partner of Bates & Coleman, PC, the law practice that he founded after earning his juris doctorate in 1981; at the firm, he specializes in public finance, and he formerly counseled clients in the areas of personal injury and criminal defense; and WHEREAS, While meeting the obligations of his professional career, Mr. Bates served for more than two decades on the board of trustees for the Lone Star College System; in that role, he helped provide stewardship and oversight to a community college system with some 74,000 students and a budget of $250 million; he was elected chair of the board by his fellow members for a total of seven years, during which time he was instrumental in securing credit upgrades for the system from both Moody's and Standard & Poor's; and WHEREAS, Mr. Bates has likewise earned distinction through his involvement in Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., an international service organization that he has led as president since 2011; he has held increasingly responsible positions in the group, where his affiliation dates back to 1971; during his tenure in its highest office, he has overseen the establishment and implementation of the "Diamonds in the Rough" program, a national campaign to foster academic and personal achievement among young men of color, and he further led the fraternity in new and ongoing efforts to support undergraduate members, guide youth to success, and promote the health and well-being of the community; and WHEREAS, Over the course of his adult life, Randy Bates has dedicated his time to endeavors that engage his desire to make a difference, and his achievements make him an outstanding role model to many people; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby honor William Bates Jr. for his years of public service at the community and national levels and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success with his important work; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Bates as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Dutton Straus Gonz lez Otto Allen Guerra Paddie Alonzo Guillen Parker Alvarado Gutierrez Paul Anchia Harless Pe a Anderson of Dallas Hernandez Phelan Anderson of McLennan Herrero Phillips Ashby Howard Pickett Aycock Huberty Price Bell Hughes Raney Bernal Hunter Raymond Blanco Isaac Reynolds Bohac Israel Riddle Bonnen of Brazoria Johnson Rinaldi Bonnen of Galveston Kacal Rodriguez of Bexar Burkett Keffer Rodriguez of Travis Burns Keough Romero, Jr. Burrows King of Hemphill Rose Button King of Parker Sanford Canales King of Taylor Schaefer Capriglione King of Uvalde Schofield Clardy Klick Schubert Coleman Koop Shaheen Collier Krause Sheets Cook Kuempel Sheffield Craddick Landgraf Simmons Crownover Larson Simpson Cyrier Laubenberg Smith Dale Leach Smithee Darby Longoria Spitzer Davis of Dallas Lozano Springer Davis of Harris Lucio III Stephenson Deshotel M rquez Stickland Dukes Martinez Thompson of Brazoria Dutton Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris Elkins McClendon Tinderholt Faircloth Men ndez Turner of Collin Fallon Metcalf Turner of Harris Farias Meyer Turner of Tarrant Farney Miles VanDeaver Farrar Miller of Comal Villalba Fletcher Miller of Fort Bend Vo Flynn Moody Walle Frank Morrison White of Bell Frullo Mu oz, Jr. White of Tyler Galindo Murphy Workman Geren Murr Wray Giddings Naishtat Wu Goldman Nev rez Zedler Gonzales Oliveira Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 784 was adopted by the House on March 2, 2015, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House