H.R. No. 1717 R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, The residents of El Paso County lost a dedicated public servant with the passing of El Paso County Sheriff Leo Samaniego on December 28, 2007; and WHEREAS, Sheriff Samaniego served his fellow citizens with distinction during a career in law enforcement that spanned more than half a century; after a tenure in the U.S. Navy, he joined the El Paso Police Department, where his hard work and determination earned him a number of promotions through the years; and WHEREAS, In 1984, he retired from the El Paso Police Department as deputy chief; he was elected sheriff that same year, and under his able guidance, the office more than doubled in size and earned national accreditation for law enforcement and two jails, becoming the first sheriff's office in the state to accomplish such an achievement; and WHEREAS, Those who were privileged to know Leo Samaniego will long remember his dedication to his West Texas community, and although he is greatly missed, his legacy lives on in the institutions he nurtured and in the myriad accomplishments he leaves behind; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Sheriff Leo Samaniego and extend sincere sympathy to all those who mourn his passing; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Leo Samaniego. Marquez Pickett Quintanilla Moody ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1717 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on May 7, 2009. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House