TITLE: Honoring entrepreneur and explorer Victor L. Vescovo of Dallas for his accomplishments.

SUMMARY: Honoring entrepreneur and explorer Victor L. Vescovo of Dallas for his accomplishments.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Admired entrepreneur, deep-sea pioneer and native Texan, Victor L. Vescovo of Dallas has captured the imagination of many with his remarkable adventures at the far reaches of the world; and WHEREAS, Co-founder and managing partner of Insight Equity, Mr. Vescovo retired as a commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve in 2013; four years later, he became the 12th American to complete the Explorer's Grand Slam, summiting the tallest mountain on each continent and skiing to both the North and South Poles; he then set his sights on planning and completing the Five Deeps Expedition, in which he piloted a submersible to the deepest point of each of the world's five oceans; the stunning feats were chronicled in a documentary series for the Discovery+ streaming channel; and WHEREAS, In 2019, Guinness World Records recognized Mr. Vescovo as the person who has covered the greatest vertical distance without leaving Earth's surface; the next year, he made history by descending to the bottom of the Mariana Trench multiple times; in April 2021, he achieved a new goal, surveying the long-lost wreckage of the USS Johnston, a Navy destroyer that sunk in the pivotal Battle of Leyte Gulf during World War II and is resting more than four miles below the waves; and WHEREAS, Mr. Vescovo has completed more than 75 dives in his submersible vehicle, and while exploring the depths of the ocean, he and his team captured video footage of a number of species never before seen by human eyes; among other discoveries, they observed a new species of hadal snailfish, as well as a mysterious gelatinous creature believed to be a stalked ascidian, otherwise known as a sea squirt; and WHEREAS, Mr. Vescovo served for 20 years as a U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer; in his business career, he built on stints with Military Advantage, Lehman Brothers, and Bain & Company by co-founding Insight Equity; he is chair of the boards of Meadow Valley Resources, MB Precision Investment Holdings, Dustex Holdings, and Virtex Holdings and serves on the boards of many other companies as well; and WHEREAS, Through his noteworthy expeditions, Victor Vescovo has advanced knowledge and sparked interest in further scientific exploration, and his singular achievements have earned the great admiration of many; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas Legislature hereby honor Victor L. Vescovo for his outstanding accomplishments and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Vescovo as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Slaton Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1118 was adopted by the House on May 14, 2021, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House