83R6998 STE-D
By: Howard H.R. No. 620
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Ken Kramer retired as executive director of the Lone
Star Chapter of the Sierra Club on July 31, 2012, concluding a
notable career with that organization that spanned more than three
decades; and
WHEREAS, A native Texan, Mr. Kramer served his country as a
member of the U.S. Army before earning a doctoral degree in
political science from Rice University; he subsequently worked as a
professor at San Angelo State University and Texas A&M University
and became involved with the Sierra Club's Lone Star Chapter along
the way; he served as the group's legislative chair and as a member
of the executive committee, and he ultimately left academia in 1982
to focus on environmental advocacy; he was the chapter's contract
lobbyist until 1989 when he was hired as its first director; and
WHEREAS, Under his skillful stewardship, the Lone Star
Chapter became a model of organizational strength and effective
representation, serving as a staunch advocate for improved air
quality and state parks and as an important resource regarding
state water policy; Mr. Kramer established a long and wide-ranging
list of noteworthy conservation achievements, including his
successful efforts to encourage the state to retain ownership of
the remote 20,000-acre Devils River State Natural Area; his
guidance also paved the way toward the reduced use of coal as a
power source and Texas' emergence as a national leader in renewable
energy production; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Kramer continues to contribute to the
environmental cause as a member of the Water Conservation Advisory
Council, the Advisory Council for the Environmental Science
Institute at The University of Texas at Austin, and the board of the
Texas Water Foundation; his accomplishments further include
serving as editor of The Living Waters of Texas, a volume of essays
and photographs about our state's water features; and
WHEREAS, Known for his insightful knowledge of policy, Ken
Kramer is admired by colleagues as a wise strategist who keeps his
humor in spite of the challenges; he has dedicated his career to
preserving the Lone Star State's natural resources and to working
for clean air, water, and land on behalf of its citizens, and his
efforts will continue to make a positive difference in the lives of
Texans for years to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Ken Kramer on his retirement as
executive director of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club and
extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Kramer as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.