TITLE: Congratulating Mary Ann Whiteker on her retirement as superintendent of Hudson Independent School District.

SUMMARY: Congratulating Mary Ann Whiteker on her retirement as superintendent of Hudson Independent School District.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Mary Ann Whiteker is retiring as superintendent of the Hudson Independent School District on June 30, 2017, drawing to a close an outstanding career in education that has spanned nearly four and a half decades; and WHEREAS, After graduating as valedictorian of her class at Corrigan-Camden High School, Ms. Whiteker studied education at Stephen F. Austin State University, where she earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees; and WHEREAS, Ms. Whiteker began her career teaching first grade at Corrigan-Camden Elementary School in 1973; she became elementary curriculum supervisor for Corrigan-Camden ISD in 1984, and the following year, she accepted the post of district curriculum director; in 1986, she transferred to Hudson ISD to work as its curriculum director, and she went on to serve as assistant superintendent and interim superintendent before being named superintendent in 1995; and WHEREAS, Over the course of her tenure at the helm of Hudson ISD, Ms. Whiteker has helped pass two bond issues totaling $24 million; she has been instrumental in the district's earning high rankings from the Texas Education Agency, Standard and Poor's, and the Texas Education and Business Coalition, among others; she also helped establish the Beth and Horace Stubblefield Learning Center, a facility designed to help students at risk of dropping out of school; and WHEREAS, A statewide leader in her professional community, Ms. Whiteker has been active with the Texas Association of School Administrators; she is a past president of the Texas Association of Midsize Schools and the Texas Association of Community Schools, and she has served on the boards of the Region VII Education Service Center and the Texas Association of Suburban/Mid-Urban Schools; in recognition of her contributions, she was presented with the Golden Anvil Award for Community Service from the Pineywoods Foundation, and she was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to serve on the Interim Committee for School Finance; moreover, she has twice been named Superintendent of the Year for Region VII, and in 2015, she was named Texas Superintendent of the Year; and WHEREAS, In addition to her professional achievements, Ms. Whiteker has been active with the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce, the Angelina County Drug-Free Communities and Schools task force, the Chamber Coalition for a Better Community, and the Lufkin Rotary Club; she is also a valued congregant of First United Methodist Church; and WHEREAS, Ms. Whiteker's dedication to the highest standards of her profession has benefited countless students in East Texas, and she may reflect with pride on a career well spent as she embarks upon the next exciting chapter of her life; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Mary Ann Whiteker on her retirement as superintendent of the Hudson Independent School District and extend to her sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Ms. Whiteker as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Ashby Straus Goldman Oliverson Allen Gonzales of Williamson Ortega Alonzo Gonz lez of El Paso Paddie Alvarado Gooden Parker Anchia Guerra Paul Anderson of Dallas Guillen Perez Anderson of McLennan Gutierrez Phelan Ar valo Hefner Phillips Ashby Hernandez Pickett Bailes Herrero Price Bell Hinojosa Raney Bernal Holland Raymond Biedermann Howard Reynolds Blanco Huberty Rinaldi Bohac Hunter Roberts Bonnen of Brazoria Isaac Rodriguez of Bexar Bonnen of Galveston Israel Rodriguez of Travis Burkett Johnson of Dallas Romero, Jr. Burns Johnson of Harris Rose Burrows Kacal Sanford Button Keough Schaefer Cain King of Hemphill Schofield Canales King of Parker Schubert Capriglione King of Uvalde Shaheen Clardy Klick Sheffield Coleman Koop Shine Collier Krause Simmons Cook Kuempel Smithee Cortez Lambert Springer Cosper Landgraf Stephenson Craddick Lang Stickland Cyrier Larson Stucky Dale Laubenberg Swanson Darby Leach Thierry Davis of Dallas Longoria Thompson of Brazoria Davis of Harris Lozano Thompson of Harris Dean Lucio III Tinderholt Deshotel Martinez Turner Dukes Metcalf Uresti Dutton Meyer VanDeaver Elkins Miller Villalba Faircloth Minjarez Vo Fallon Moody Walle Farrar Morrison White Flynn Mu oz, Jr. Wilson Frank Murphy Workman Frullo Murr Wray Geren Neave Wu Gervin-Hawkins Nev rez Zedler Giddings Oliveira Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1959 was adopted by the House on May 9, 2017, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House