<BillNo> <Sponsor>
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 149
By McNally
SJR0149
000060
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A RESOLUTION to honor the memory of Mark Gwyn.
WHEREAS, the members of this General Assembly were greatly saddened to learn of
the passing of Mark Gwyn, the former director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI);
and
WHEREAS, Mark Gwyn was an exemplary public servant and consummate professional
who worked assiduously to improve the quality of life for his fellow citizens in numerous
capacities; and
WHEREAS, Mark Gwyn provided exemplary leadership to the State's primary criminal
investigative agency for fourteen years before taking his much-deserved retirement in 2018; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Gwyn dedicated his career to making the TBI a proactive law
enforcement agency and led the fight against some of the most serious and heinous crimes in
Tennessee, including human trafficking, meth production, gang violence, cybercrimes targeting
children, and domestic terrorism; and
WHEREAS, Director Gwyn expertly managed the TBI's high-profile programs, including
the TBI Top Ten Most Wanted, the AMBER Alert program, the statewide Sex Offender Registry,
and the Tennessee Dangerous Drugs Task Force; the Fusion Center, a law enforcement
intelligence-sharing unit; and the State's three forensic crime labs, which conducted more than
413,000 tests on approximately 90,000 pieces of evidence annually; and
WHEREAS, he also coordinated the gathering, analysis, and dissemination of State and
local criminal justice statistics through the annual publication of Crime in Tennessee and
prioritized continuing education by conducting specialized training for more than 8,500 law
enforcement personnel in Tennessee annually; and
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WHEREAS, Director Mark Gwyn was a former member of the IACP Narcotics and
Dangerous Drugs Committee and served as president for the board of directors of the
Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies; and
WHEREAS, he was a graduate of the Tennessee Law Enforcement Command College,
Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, the FBI National Academy, the
thirty-third session of the FBI's National Executive Institute, and the FBI's Leadership in
Counter-Terrorism Program; he also received extensive terrorism training from the Israeli
National Police; and
WHEREAS, appointed by Governor Bill Haslam to his third six-year term as director of
the TBI in 2016, Mark Gwyn began his illustrious career in law enforcement as a patrol officer in
his hometown of McMinnville; and
WHEREAS, he joined the TBI in 1988 and quickly rose through the ranks, first serving
as an agent, then as executive officer of the Forensic Services Division, and finally as director of
the State law enforcement agency, which employs more than 550 people statewide, half of
whom are commissioned officers; and
WHEREAS, Mark Gwyn leaves behind an indelible legacy of integrity and probity in
public life, compassion and loyalty in private life, and diligence and dedication in all his chosen
endeavors; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting that the members of this General Assembly should remember the
bountiful life of this exceptional public servant and human being; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES CON CURRING, that we honor the memory of Mark Gwyn, reflecting
fondly upon his impeccable character and his stalwart commitment to living the examined life
with courage and conviction.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we extend our deepest condolences to the family
and friends of Director Gwyn.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
without House or Senate designation.