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Regular Session, 2010
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 134
BY REPRESENTATIVES HUTTER, BARROW, CHAMPAGNE, DOERGE, HILL,
ROSALIND JONES, KATZ, LANDRY, NORTON, JANE SMITH, PATRICIA
SMITH, ST. GERMAIN, STIAES, AND THIERRY AND SENATORS BROOME,
CHEEK, DORSEY, DUPLESSIS, JACKSON, MOUNT, PETERSON, AND
QUINN
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To commend Frances B. Bennett of Baton Rouge upon her receipt of a 2010 Women of
Excellence Award from the Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus Foundation.
WHEREAS, it is appropriate to commend Frances B. Bennett upon her receipt of a
2010 Women of Excellence Award from the Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus
Foundation and to recognize her vital contributions to the citizens of Louisiana as an active
and dedicated community servant; and
WHEREAS, born on February 16, 1940, in St. Helena Parish, Mrs. Bennett grew up
in a large family with four brothers and four sisters and graduated from Greensburg High
School in 1957 as salutatorian and senior class president; and
WHEREAS, after graduation, Mrs. Bennett moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where
she was employed by the Louisiana Insurance Rating Commission, and she continued
working in the insurance industry with various agencies until her retirement in 1989; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Bennett currently serves on the boards of Brave Heart-Children
in Need, Friendship Force of Baton Rouge, the Sunshine Foundation, the Mental Health
Association for Greater Baton Rouge, and the International Hospitality Foundation; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Bennett, along with her husband, Charles, was instrumental in
organizing the Louisiana State Museum Friends, and she is currently serving as its acting
president; and
WHEREAS, as a team, Mrs. Bennett and her husband serve as publicity chairpersons
for the Friendship Force of Baton Rouge, the Mental Health Association for Greater Baton
Rouge, the International Hospitality Foundation, Brave Heart-Children in Need, and the
ExxonMobil Tigerland Retiree Club, and the couple also assists with publicity for the
Women's Council of Greater Baton Rouge; and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 134
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WHEREAS, over the years, Mrs. Bennett has volunteered for more than thirty
organizations, and since 2001, she and her husband have each volunteered an average of
between fifteen hundred and eighteen hundred hours per year; and
WHEREAS, throughout her life, Mrs. Bennett has volunteered with numerous
organizations, including the Food Bank of Greater Baton Rouge, the American Red Cross,
Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge, the Capital Area United Way, the Cystic Fibrosis,
Leukemia, and Lymphoma Society, the Jambalaya Festival Association, the Women's
Council of Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, the Around Town TV
Show, and various other organizations; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Bennett is also a registration and convention host for the Baton
Rouge Convention and Visitors Bureau; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of her accomplishments in volunteering, Mrs. Bennett
received the 2008 Golden Deeds Award presented by The Advocate and the Inter-Civic
Council, and in that same year, she was selected as a Louisiana Heroine by the Louisiana
Association of Non-Profit Organizations; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Bennett and her husband also received the Volunteer Activists
Award from the Baton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation and the Polaris Award from
the Greater Baton Rouge Pan-Hellenic Council; and
WHEREAS, since 2004, Mrs. Bennett and her husband have been honored as Top
Barrel Buddies for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, and in 2007, they received the
Presidential Award from the president of the United States, which is awarded to people with
more than four thousand volunteer hours; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Bennett recently celebrated her seventieth birthday and collected
three hundred forty-five pounds of food for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank from
friends at her party; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Bennett is a loving wife to her husband, Charles, and a devoted
mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother to her three children, Cindy Wale, Susan
Rogers, and Jeff Gros, her nine grandchildren, Jennifer Wale Ramezan, Jeffrey Wale,
Chelsea Cruse, Jacob Cruse, Anna Gros, Abbie Finch, Angela Finch, Amber Kliesch, and
Amy Hebert, and her great-grandchild, McKenzie Kliesch; and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 134
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WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus Foundation created the
Women of Excellence Awards to recognize and honor extraordinary women of excellence
across the state for their outstanding achievements and contributions; and
WHEREAS, recipients of the Women of Excellence Awards exhibit characteristics
of integrity and professionalism, personify excellence in their area of specialty, and are
committed to community service to better society as a whole; and
WHEREAS, this year, there were seven categories for the Women of Excellence
Awards: Business, Culinary Arts, Education, Law and Justice, Volunteerism and Civic
Involvement, Young High School Woman of Excellence, and Young Woman of Excellence;
and
WHEREAS, the recipients of the 2010 Women of Excellence Awards are being
recognized at the Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus Foundation's Women of
Excellence Awards Gala on Wednesday, May 19, 2010, in Baton Rouge; and
WHEREAS, Frances B. Bennett received a 2010 Women of Excellence Award in the
category of Volunteerism and Civic Involvement; and
WHEREAS, Frances B. Bennett merits a sincere and heartfelt measure of
commendation for her dedication to excellence and her outstanding accomplishments.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend Frances B. Bennett of Baton Rouge upon her receipt of a 2010 Women of
Excellence Award from the Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus Foundation, does hereby
recognize and record for posterity her singular contributions to the citizens of Louisiana as
an active and dedicated community servant, and does hereby extend enduring appreciation
for the tremendous honor and pride that she brings to her family, friends, and community,
the city of Baton Rouge, and the state of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to Frances B. Bennett.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE