SLS 15RS-3869 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 140
BY SENATOR ALARIO
COMMENDATIONS. Commends Joe Wood Guidry Berry upon the completion of fifty-
one years of lobbying the Louisiana Legislature.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To commend and congratulate Joe Wood Guidry Berry for fifty-one years of lobbying the
3 Louisiana Legislature.
4 WHEREAS, it is with great pride and honor that the members of the Legislature of
5 Louisiana and the citizens of Louisiana honor Joe Wood Guidry Berry for fifty-one years of
6 service as a lobbyist; and
7 WHEREAS, after working in John McKeithen's gubernatorial campaign in 1964, Joe
8 Wood Guidry Berry started her career working for the betterment of the state of Louisiana,
9 by working for the new governor; and
10 WHEREAS, later working as the head of the intergovernmental relations for the
11 Senate, she hired the first African American to work in the State Capitol; and
12 WHEREAS, after leaving the state for a year, Joe returned to Louisiana and started
13 her governmental relations service, becoming the first woman lobbyist for private enterprise,
14 and quickly added The Louisiana Nursing Home Association, The Louisiana Hotel
15 Association, The Tobacco Institute, and the Unisys Computer Corporation as clients; and
16 WHEREAS, in 1984, as the representative of Unisys Computer Corporation, she and
17 Jack Montgomery installed the first computer located in the Senate; and
18 WHEREAS, unbeknownst to either of them working on the installation at the time,
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SLS 15RS-3869 ORIGINAL
1 there were four sticks of dynamite placed in the room and less than one-half hour later, the
2 Senate chamber was blown up; and
3 WHEREAS, there is still a pencil stuck into the ceiling of the Senate chamber from
4 that explosion; and
5 WHEREAS, continuing to improve relations between herself and the legislators, she
6 established The Green House, which was located within walking distance of the State
7 Capitol where she provided lunches and gave everyone a place in which to be comfortable;
8 and
9 WHEREAS, she has long been a fixture at the Louisiana State Capitol and has seen
10 and heard almost all of the known, major controversies argued in these legislative halls; an
11 extraordinary woman, she has been an inspiration and mentor to other women; and
12 WHEREAS, the success of the state of Louisiana, the strength of our communities,
13 and the overall vitality of our American society depend, in great measure, upon people like
14 Joe Wood Guidry Berry who use their unique talents, style, and abilities to help others and
15 resolve issues that seem unresolvable.
16 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
17 does hereby commend and congratulate Joe Wood Guidry Berry for her amazing and
18 enduring skills as a lobbyist for the past fifty-one years.
19 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be presented to Joe
20 Wood Guidry Berry
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J Guillot.
DIGEST
SCR 140 Original 2015 Regular Session Alario
Commends Joe Wood Guidry Berry upon the completion of 51 years of lobbying the
legislature.
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