2016 Regular Session ENROLLED SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 94 BY SENATORS THOMPSON, ALARIO, ALLAIN, APPEL, BARROW, BISHOP, BOUDREAUX, BROWN, CARTER, CHABERT, CLAITOR, COLOMB, CORTEZ, DONAHUE, ERDEY, FANNIN, GATTI, HEWITT, JOHNS, LAFLEUR, LAMBERT, LONG, LUNEAU, MARTINY, MILKOVICH, MILLS, MIZELL, MORRELL, MORRISH, PEACOCK, PERRY, PETERSON, RISER, GARY SMITH, JOHN SMITH, TARVER, WALSWORTH, WARD AND WHITE A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION To commend and congratulate Robert "Bob" C. Israel upon his retirement as president of the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association. WHEREAS, it is with great pride that the citizens and the Legislature of Louisiana have learned of his much deserved retirement as president of the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association; and WHEREAS, Robert Craig Israel was born April 11, 1943, and was a 1961 graduate of Bogalusa High School, and a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana; and WHEREAS, he served his state and his country in the United States Navy, Special Communications, in Da Nang, Viet Nam; and WHEREAS, since 1983, Robert C. Israel has served as president of the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association (LADA), a trade association for virtually all new car and truck franchised dealers in the state; and WHEREAS, prior to his tenure with LADA, he served in various capacities with the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) beginning in 1974, including chief lobbyist from 1976-1983 and as director of membership development, and LABI grew from two hundred and fifty members to its all time peak of six thousand five hundred members in 1983; and WHEREAS, he has been instrumental in developing a partnership between business, education, and government to aid in the advancement of the automotive industry as a vital and rewarding career; and WHEREAS, he is past president of the Louisiana Society of Trade Association Executives and the Louisiana Association of Self-Insured Employees, has served on the board of directors of the National Automotive Trade Association Executives and became its chairman in February 2013, and served on many committees of the National Automobile Dealers Association; and Page 1 of 2 SCR NO. 94 ENROLLED WHEREAS, Bob Israel has been administrator of the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association Self-Insurer's Trust Fund (LADA-SIF) since 1984; LADA-SIF has provided workers' compensation benefits to its membership for the last thirty years; and that trust fund currently provides coverage to over eighty-five percent of the LADA members; and WHEREAS, Bob Israel has been a registered lobbyist for LADA since 1984, is responsible for developing legislative strategy on behalf of three hundred and forty dealers and members, is a leading advocate in the drafting and passage of workers' compensation legislation, and is very active at the state capitol during regular and special sessions and travels to Washington, D.C. to meet with the Louisiana delegation when needed; and WHEREAS, he is the loving, devoted, and dedicated husband of Deanne Derbes and a committed father to Robert C. Israel II and Molly Israel Lejeune; and WHEREAS, he is an active member in St. James Episcopal Church where he has served on the vestry, teaches Sunday School, and is a former board member of St. James Episcopal Day School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and WHEREAS, upon retirement some of the hobbies he plans to enjoy are swimming, running, tennis, and cooking; and WHEREAS, the success of the state of Louisiana, the strength of our communities, and the overall vitality of American society depend in great measure upon men like Robert "Bob" C. Israel. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend and congratulate Robert "Bob" C. Israel upon his retirement as president of the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association and wishes him much success in all his future endeavors. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Robert "Bob" C. Israel. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Page 2 of 2