83S10005 BPG-D
By: Pitts H.R. No. 125
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Honorable Craig Eiland has rendered exceptional
service to residents of the Lone Star State throughout a nearly
two-decade-long tenure in the Texas House of Representatives; and
WHEREAS, First elected in 1994, Representative Eiland has
earned the high regard of colleagues and constituents alike for his
well-informed, incisive leadership and his ability to work across
the aisle; he demonstrated those virtues in abundance in the wake of
Hurricane Ike, which devastated Galveston and Chambers Counties in
September 2008; joining a delegation to Washington, D.C., he
testified about the recovery needs of the Gulf Coast before the
U.S. Senate, and he served on the Governor's Commission for
Disaster Recovery; he also chaired the Hurricane Subcommittee of
the Texas House Appropriations Committee and served on the Select
Committee on Hurricane Ike Devastation; and
WHEREAS, Representative Eiland played a crucial role in
securing the resources to rebuild communities, restore beaches, and
repair colleges and public schools; moreover, he was instrumental
in keeping The University of Texas Medical Branch, the largest
employer on Galveston Island, in the city where it was established
more than 130 years ago; ultimately, investment in recovery totaled
well over $1 billion, including matching funds from private sources
and the Federal Emergency Management Agency; he has tirelessly
advocated for coastal homeowners as well, working to ensure that
resources will be available to them following future disasters in
hurricane-prone counties; and
WHEREAS, Appointed speaker pro tempore for the 81st Texas
Legislature, Representative Eiland also won praise for his
efficient management of the local and consent calendar that
session, which sped along at a handy clip that was often enhanced by
the thunderous accompaniment of one of his children on the gavel;
widely admired for his ability to keep the legislative process on
track during debate on a highly contentious issue, he is also noted
for his expertise in insurance matters and budget issues, and he has
served four terms as vice chair of the House Insurance Committee and
six terms as a valued member of the House Appropriations Committee;
he has further served as chair of the Pensions and Investments
Committee and as vice chair of the Juvenile Justice and Family
Issues Committee, the Election Contests Select Committees in 2003
and 2005, and the Election Contest District 48 Select Committee in
2011, among many other committee assignments; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan has twice been ranked as one of
the "Ten Best Legislators" by Texas Monthly magazine, and he has
been named Citizen of the Year by the Galveston County Daily News;
the recipient of numerous accolades, he has been selected as
Legislator of the Year by such organizations as the Texas Hospital
Association, the Texas Council of Child Welfare Boards, and the
United Ways of Texas, and he has been accorded the President's Award
by the Texas Public Health Association; the Bay Area Houston
Economic Partnership gave him its 2010 Quasar Award in recognition
of his contributions to the region's recovery from one of the
nation's worst natural disasters; and
WHEREAS, Born in 1962, Representative Eiland grew up in West
Texas and lettered in football at Baylor University, where he
completed his bachelor's degree in business administration; he went
on to graduate from Baylor Law School and briefly worked on a cattle
ranch in the Australian outback before settling in Galveston and
joining the state's oldest law firm, Mills, Shirley, Eckel &
Bassett; he was subsequently employed by nationally known Houston
attorney Ernest H. Cannon; he opened his own practice in 1992, and
today his firm has offices in Galveston and Houston and represents
clients in complex litigation in cities across the nation and in a
number of foreign countries; the Baylor Law School chose him as
Young Lawyer of the Year in 1999, and he has been awarded membership
in the American Board of Trial Advocates and the American
Association for Justice; and
WHEREAS, Craig Eiland and his wife, Melissa, are the proud
parents of four children, Blake, Tucker, Gray, and Delaney, who
have all exhibited precocious aplomb in wielding the parliamentary
gavel; and
WHEREAS, Representative Eiland has announced that he is
retiring from the House of Representatives at the end of his 10th
term, to the delight of his family and the dismay of his colleagues,
who will miss his expertise, good humor, and proven ability to play
well with others; and
WHEREAS, Through his steadfast commitment to bettering the
lives of his fellow citizens, Craig Eiland has greatly benefited
the people of Texas and has contributed immeasurably to the
vitality of Gulf Coast communities; as he prepares to embark on the
next chapter of his life, he takes with him the friendship of all
who have been privileged to serve alongside him and who take
pleasure in honoring him for a job exceedingly well done; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby commend the Honorable Craig
Eiland for his exemplary public service and extend to him warmest
best wishes for continued success and much happiness; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Representative Eiland as an expression of high regard
by the Texas House of Representatives.