SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 592
In Memory
of
Suzanne McDaniel
WHEREAS, Countless lives were touched by the pioneering
work of Suzanne McDaniel, a tireless advocate for the rights of
crime victims and witnesses, who passed away on May 21, 2012, at
the age of 59; and
WHEREAS, This compassionate Texan fought to reform the
criminal justice system during an era when the needs of victims
and witnesses were often overlooked; at the time of her death,
she was working as the first director of victim services for the
Texas District and County Attorneys Association; and
WHEREAS, Born in Houston on January 7, 1953, Suzanne
McDaniel was the daughter of Annie Mae Bucy McDaniel and Marion
Embree McDaniel; she studied English literature and art at
Southwestern University in Georgetown and earned her bachelor's
degree in 1974; and
WHEREAS, She subsequently joined the Harris County
District Attorney's Office, where she implemented the state's
first prosecutor-based victim assistance program under the
direction of district attorney Carol Vance; she was also involved
in the development of the county's first community interagency
councils on sexual assault and family violence as well as the
first rape exam protocol for the Houston Hospital and Medical
Associations; and
WHEREAS, After a decade with the district attorney's
office, Suzanne McDaniel relocated to Austin in 1983 to establish
the Texas Crime Victim Clearinghouse, the first statewide
resource of its kind in the nation; she served as its director for
eight years, during which time she wrote a number of
groundbreaking reports on crime victims and coordinated
educational and training conferences for victims, advocates, and
allied professionals; and
WHEREAS, She was later tapped to serve the Office of the
Attorney General as the victim assistance and communications
director for its Crime Victim Services Division; acting as a
legislative liaison in that post and others, she played a key
role in the drafting and passage of such reforms as the Texas
Constitutional Amendment on Crime Victim Rights, the Texas Crime
Victims' Compensation Act, and the Texas Crime Victims Bill of
Rights; and
WHEREAS, Suzanne McDaniel worked to bring the issue to the
national stage by coordinating field hearings for President
Reagan's Task Force on Victims of Crime, launched in 1984; she
remained at the forefront of the national victims' rights
movement as a member of the board of the National Organization
for Victim Assistance for more than a decade in addition to
sharing her time with other major advocacy groups; and
WHEREAS, In 1995, Bill Clinton presented her with the
President's Award for Outstanding Service to Victims of Crime in
recognition of her efforts to guide victims through the recovery
process; among the numerous other accolades she received is the
Citation of Merit from her alma mater in 2003; moreover, the
Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus Award was rechristened the
Suzanne McDaniel Public Awareness Award in 2008; and
WHEREAS, Despite her vast experience and unquestionable
expertise, Suzanne McDaniel seldom sought attention for her
accomplishments, instead using her resources to comfort, assist,
and empower victims to maneuver through the criminal justice
system and to rebuild their lives; although her loss is keenly
felt, the grace, determination, and selflessness with which she
lived her life will continue to inspire others for many years to
come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd
Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Suzanne McDaniel
and extend sincere condolences to her bereaved family: her
brother, Marion McDaniel, Jr., and his wife, Mary; her nephews,
Mark McDaniel and Marion McDaniel III, and Marion's wife,
Valerie, and daughter, Nathalie; and her other relatives and many
friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
her family as an expression of deepest sympathy, and that when
the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Suzanne
McDaniel.
Huffman
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on April 22, 2013, by a
rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate