83R14414 LB-D
By: Guillen H.R. No. 1060
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Elma Esther Chavez, who has served as executive
director of the Raymondville Chamber of Commerce since 2000, has
long rendered sterling service to the citizens of Willacy County;
and
WHEREAS, A graduate of Raymondville High School and The
University of Texas--Pan American, Ms. Chavez began her career as a
pharmacy technician with Watson's City Drug and has owned a
home-based cosmetics business for the past eight years; and
WHEREAS, During her tenure with the chamber, Ms. Chavez has
been responsible for promoting tourism, business, and development
in the area; she has overseen numerous chamber events, including
grand openings for local businesses, networking breakfasts,
after-hours mixers, business seminars, and ribbon cuttings, in
addition to helping to produce a website for the organization and a
quarterly publication, Wonderful Willacy; she also organizes the
yearly Fourth of July festivities and manages the Wild in Willacy
Nature and Heritage Festival; moreover, Ms. Chavez initiated the
Willacy County Heritage Gala, began the tradition of the Christmas
tree lighting in Raymondville, and coordinated Raymondville's
three-day centennial celebration in 2004; and
WHEREAS, Active throughout the community, Elma Chavez has
served the Raymondville Independent School District on various
committees and as Band Booster president; she is a member of the
Willacy County Task Force, the Rural Technical Skills Training
Center Advisory Committee, the Willacy County Industrial
Foundation, the Relay for Life, and the local board of FEMA; over
the years, she has also been involved with the Boy Scouts,
Raymondville Rotary Club, Cameron-Willacy Counties Community
Projects, Inc., the Raymondville Historical Society, and the
steering committees for the city water plant and the Coastal Land
Resources Center; and
WHEREAS, Among the accolades conferred on Ms. Chavez have
been recognition as Woman of the Year at the Viva Raymondville
Awards in 2000 and 2003 and designation as a Hometown Hero by Valley
Telephone Cooperative; in 2010, she was inducted into the
BorderFest Walk of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Elma Chavez and her husband of nearly four decades,
Emilio Chavez, Jr., take great pride in their three children,
Michael, Lori, and Criselda, and in their three grandchildren;
Ms. Chavez is a valued member of St. Anthony's Catholic Church,
where she has served as a catechism teacher; and
WHEREAS, The residents of Raymondville and Willacy County
have benefited greatly from the skill, energy, and commitment that
Elma Chavez has brought to her civic endeavors, and it is indeed a
privilege to recognize her at this time; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby honor Elma Esther Chavez for her contributions
to Willacy County as executive director of the Raymondville Chamber
of Commerce and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued
success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Ms. Chavez as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.