H.R. No. 262 R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, Delvin Dennis, who directs the Houston District of the Texas Department of Transportation as district engineer, is retiring on August 31, 2011, after an outstanding 31-year career in public service; and WHEREAS, Appointed district engineer in 2008, Mr. Dennis is responsible for managing all engineering operations in Harris, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Montgomery, and Waller Counties; this six-county area constitutes the largest TxDOT jurisdiction in terms of registered vehicles, population, and vehicle miles traveled; Mr. Dennis also oversees the largest district budget for roadway maintenance in the state; and WHEREAS, No sooner had Delvin Dennis assumed the post of district engineer than he was faced with leading his district's response to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Ike, one of the costliest hurricanes ever to make landfall in the United States; more recently, he has guided the district as it undertakes the challenge of constructing portions of the Grand Parkway, a 180-mile ring road that will circle Greater Houston; and WHEREAS, Delvin Dennis has worked with the Houston District his entire career; after earning a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Houston in 1980, he joined TxDOT as an engineering assistant in the Houston Urban Project Office; he subsequently served as assistant district construction engineer, Central Houston area engineer, and director of maintenance before becoming district deputy engineer in 1998; and WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan has also served thousands of fellow Texans through his work with the Texas Public Employees Association, which he led as president from 2007 to 2008; and WHEREAS, Mr. Dennis's retirement holds the much-anticipated promise of more time to spend with his family, including his wife, Rita, and his children, Jeremy and Claire; it will also provide more leisure for such favored pastimes as reading, cooking, and baseball; and WHEREAS, The myriad projects that Delvin Dennis has helped bring to fruition over the past three decades have increased the efficiency of the highways throughout the Houston area and have contributed significantly to the economic vitality of the Lone Star State, and he can indeed reflect with pride on a career well spent; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby congratulate Delvin Dennis on the occasion of his retirement from the Texas Department of Transportation and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success and fulfillment in the years ahead; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Dennis as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. S. Davis of Harris ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 262 was adopted by the House on June 28, 2011, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House