TITLE: Congratulating Dr. Matthew Steven Tejada on his selection as director of the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Justice and commending him for his contributions as executive director of Air Alliance Houston.

SUMMARY: Congratulating Dr. Matthew Steven Tejada on his selection as director of the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Justice and commending him for his contributions as executive director of Air Alliance Houston.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Dr. Matthew Steven Tejada of Houston has been selected to serve as director of the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Justice; and WHEREAS, A native of Fort Worth, Dr. Tejada attended The University of Texas at Austin, where his high marks earned him induction into the Texas Alpha Chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society; in 2000, he graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English and enlisted in the Peace Corps for two years; he subsequently resumed his studies at St. Antony's College at the University of Oxford, where he earned a master's degree in Russian and East European studies in 2004 and a doctorate in history two years later; and WHEREAS, On returning to Austin, Dr. Tejada joined the Texas Public Interest Research Group and served as an advocate on a range of consumer rights issues; shortly thereafter, in 2007, he was appointed executive director of the Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention (GHASP), with the unanimous approval of the board; seeing the opportunity to expand the organization's scope and influence, he orchestrated the merger of GHASP with Mothers for Clean Air to form Air Alliance Houston (AAH), which he has ably led for the past several years; and WHEREAS, In his capacity as head of AAH, Dr. Tejada has guided research, education, and advocacy efforts, while forging statewide alliances and winning the support of prominent figures for the group's initiatives; deeply devoted to the cause of ensuring clean air for all Texans, he helped mobilize low-income and minority communities, which have been disproportionately affected by problems associated with industrial waste; in addition, he worked to reduce hot spots of toxic air pollutants along the Houston Ship Channel and helped launch a website that allows Houston residents to check smog levels at specific locations in real time; and WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Dr. Tejada has drawn inspiration from the love of his wife, Denitsa, and their daughter, Nia; and WHEREAS, Dr. Tejada has helped build safer, healthier communities while earning widespread recognition as a leader in the campaign for responsible environmental policy, and the experience that he has gained is sure to be of immense benefit as he continues his important work at the national level; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Dr. Matthew Tejada on his selection as director of the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Justice 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 Dr. Tejada as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Farrar Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 345 was adopted by the House on February 7, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House