H.R. No. 303
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, On March 6, 2013, proud residents, businesspeople,
and friends of the Richardson community are meeting at the State
Capitol for Richardson's Telecom Corridor Legislative Day; and
WHEREAS, Located just north of Dallas in both Dallas and
Collin Counties, Richardson is home to more than 100,000 people and
a high concentration of technology and telecommunications
companies, as well as financial services firms and corporate
headquarters; it ranks as one of the largest employment centers in
North Texas and has been recognized as the international business
capital of the region and as a major telecommunications center with
global reach; and
WHEREAS, The collaboration between business and government
that characterizes the region is due in large part to the committed
efforts of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce, a
U.S. Chamber-accredited five star chamber, and the City of
Richardson; assistance from the state's Texas Enterprise Fund and
Emerging Technology Fund has also figured significantly in local
economic development initiatives; and
WHEREAS, Richardson has been among the most successful cities
in the nation at promoting economic development, having attracted
such internationally renowned companies as Cisco Systems, AT&T,
Verizon, Fujitsu Network Communications, Samsung
Telecommunications America, Rockwell Collins, Boeing, Texas
Instruments, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, and its appeal
was demonstrated once more with the announcement in late 2012 that
State Farm Insurance is coming to Richardson, where it will build a
1.5-million-square-foot campus, the largest constructed in the
Metroplex in decades; at the same time, exciting new companies in
the areas of telecommunications, nanotechnology, software and
semiconductors, and the life sciences, garnering over $2 billion in
venture capital investments, have been started in the city; in
2006, the Richardson Economic Development Partnership, a project of
the City of Richardson and the Richardson Chamber of Commerce,
received the prestigious Technology-Based Economic Development
Award from the International Economic Development Council, which
further recognized the partnership as one of only eight accredited
economic development organizations in the State of Texas; and
WHEREAS, The exceptional quality of life in Richardson
contributes to making this community an especially desirable
location; in addition to having some of the state's best schools and
colleges, the city boasts more than 1,000 acres of park space, and
the nationally known Wildflower! arts and music festival and
Cottonwood Art Festival are representative of the area's
outstanding cultural assets; and
WHEREAS, Richardson is also home to The University of Texas
at Dallas, a dynamic public research institution that stands at the
forefront of scientific, technological, and medical investigation;
the school's state-of-the-art Natural Science and Engineering
Research Laboratory, an $85 million facility that was completed in
2007, and its highly regarded Jonsson School of Engineering and
Computer Science help UTD to draw and retain an exceptional faculty
and staff; moreover, the undergraduate and graduate business
programs at the Naveen Jindal School of Management are considered
by many to be among the best in the United States, with faculty
productivity rankings in the top 20 worldwide; and
WHEREAS, Also adding accolades is the Richardson Independent
School District, recognized by the Texas Education Agency for six
years in a row and one of the largest diverse districts in the state
to accomplish such a feat, with more than 9 in 10 campuses either
"Recognized" or "Exemplary"; all of its high schools have placed in
the top five percent according to the Washington Post, and the
Education Resource Group has called it the best academically
performing district in Texas; and
WHEREAS, The Richardson Chamber of Commerce and the area's
technology leadership have made Richardson's Telecom Corridor one
of the showplaces of modern Texas, and they can take great pride in
their many accomplishments as they look forward to the challenges
and opportunities that lie ahead; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize March 6, 2013, as Richardson's Telecom
Corridor Legislative Day and extend a warm welcome to the
Richardson-area business and civic leaders who are visiting the
State Capitol.
Button
Carter
Leach
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 303 was adopted by the House on March
6, 2013, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House