SLS 16RS-2042 ORIGINAL
2016 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 98
BY SENATOR BROWN
COMMENDATIONS. Commends Jinel J. Sawyer Sr. on his retirement.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend and recognize the achievements of Jinel J. Sawyer Sr., including his service
3 to his state and his country, on the occasion of his retirement.
4 WHEREAS, Jinel J. Sawyer Sr. was born on November 24, 1953, in New Orleans,
5 Louisiana, to Sam and Flora Bell Sawyer, the fourth of eight children; and
6 WHEREAS, he is married to Shaun Ross Sawyer and they have two children, Renata
7 Renee and Jinel Jr., one grandson, De'Quincey Gipson, and one adopted daughter, Taylor
8 Schonberg Sawyer; and
9 WHEREAS, Jinel J. Sawyer Sr. was educated in the Assumption Public School
10 System, graduating from Assumption High School in 1971; graduated from Spencer
11 Business College in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1972 with an associate degree in Business
12 Administration; attended Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, and the
13 University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette, Louisiana, majoring in Business
14 Administration; and graduated from Federated Tax School in Chicago, Illinois, in 1995; and
15 WHEREAS, his first job was as an eight-year old lawn/farm hand; then as a
16 newspaper boy at twelve, selling the Grit newspaper and The Louisiana Weekly; worked
17 from twelve to seventeen as a stock clerk and gas attendant at Cedar Grove General
18 Merchandise; and at age nineteen was assistant manager at Johnson Enterprise, a chain of
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SLS 16RS-2042 ORIGINAL
1 convenience stores in New Orleans, Louisiana; and
2 WHEREAS, Jinel J. Sawyer Sr. served in the United States Air Force for four years,
3 from 1972-1976 attaining the rank of E4, Sergeant, his military career beginning in 1972 at
4 Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, where he went through his basic training, and
5 after basic training he attended printer systems operator training school at Good Fellow Air
6 Force Base in San Angelo, Texas; he was later stationed at Kelly Air Force Base, San
7 Antonio, Texas, and Karamursel, Turkey, and, while at Kelly Air Force Base, went on
8 temporary duty assignments to Anchorage, Alaska, Osaka, Japan, Manila, Philippines and
9 Honolulu, Hawaii; and
10 WHEREAS, from 1978 to 1990, he worked various management and supervisor
11 positions in fast food and petroleum chemical industries, including Church's Fried Chicken,
12 Morton Salt, and Penrod Oil Offshore Division; and
13 WHEREAS, Jinel J. Sawyer Sr. worked in the 1990 and 2000 Census as an
14 enumerator and from 1990 to 2016 served the United States Postal Service as a rural carrier
15 in Donaldsonville, Louisiana; and
16 WHEREAS, he is a registered Independent leaning strong towards the values of the
17 Democratic Party and has worked in numerous local, state, and national elections since 1978
18 in voter registration projects and getting out the vote; and
19 WHEREAS, Jinel J. Sawyer Sr. is a life long member of St. Mark Baptist Church in
20 Labadieville, Louisiana; was ordained as a deacon in 1984 at Good Hope Baptist Church in
21 Jeanerette, Louisiana; and is currently serving nine years as Chair Deacon and Trustee at St.
22 Mark Baptist Church; and
23 WHEREAS, he is a former member of Assumption Parish Chapter of the NAACP,
24 a current member of the National Rural Letter Carrier Association, and a current member
25 of Raymond Stafford Post 513 American Legion in Thibodaux, Louisiana, having served as
26 financial officer from 1997 to 2013.
27 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
28 does hereby commend and recognize the achievements of Jinel J. Sawyer Sr., including his
29 service to his state and his country, on the occasion of his retirement.
30 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Jinel
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SLS 16RS-2042 ORIGINAL
1 J. Sawyer Sr.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry Guillot.
DIGEST
SR 98 Original 2016 Regular Session Brown
Commends and recognizes the achievements of Jinel J. Sawyer Sr., including his service to
his state and his country, on the occasion of his retirement.
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