| 2 | 3 | | |
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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, For many years, James and Leeshan Chuang Birney of |
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| 6 | 7 | | Stone Mountain Properties have distinguished themselves through |
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| 7 | 8 | | their success as entrepreneurs and as civic leaders in the Houston |
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| 8 | 9 | | area; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, After graduating from National Taiwan Normal |
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| 10 | 11 | | University, Leeshan Chuang Birney earned a master's degree in |
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| 11 | 12 | | business administration from New York University and then founded |
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| 12 | 13 | | the Stone Mountain Properties real estate company; James Birney |
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| 13 | 14 | | earned his MBA from NYU as well, and he enjoyed a long and |
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| 14 | 15 | | successful career on Wall Street as a founding partner of Furman, |
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| 15 | 16 | | Selz, Mager, Dietz, and Birney, a brokerage and investment firm, |
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| 16 | 17 | | before joining his wife in the family real estate business; in the |
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| 17 | 18 | | decades Mr. and Mrs. Birney have worked together at Stone Mountain |
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| 18 | 19 | | Properties, they have developed projects in Houston and New Jersey |
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| 19 | 20 | | and built a portfolio worth more than $100 million; and |
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| 20 | 21 | | WHEREAS, Throughout their careers, the Birneys have also |
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| 21 | 22 | | given generously of their time and resources to a wide variety of |
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| 22 | 23 | | institutions and community organizations; among the entities to |
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| 23 | 24 | | benefit from their efforts are the Houston Housing Finance |
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| 24 | 25 | | Corporation, the Asian American Business Council of the Asian |
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| 25 | 26 | | Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese Community Center, the Global |
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| 26 | 27 | | Federation of Chinese Business Women, the Planning Board of the |
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| 27 | 28 | | City of Houston, and the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce; and |
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| 28 | 29 | | WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Birney are also supporters of the |
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| 29 | 30 | | Chinese American Relief Effort and the Joint Chinese College Alumni |
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| 30 | 31 | | Association, which has named a music scholarship in their honor; in |
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| 31 | 32 | | addition, they have provided funds for innumerable programs for |
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| 32 | 33 | | disadvantaged young people, the elderly, and the disabled, and they |
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| 33 | 34 | | actively promote leisure learning, literary seminars, arts |
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| 34 | 35 | | exhibitions, and concerts; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, The couple's many honors include the Outstanding |
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| 36 | 37 | | Chinese Entrepreneur Award from Chinese21.com, the ILF Regional |
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| 37 | 38 | | Leadership Award, the Hua Kuan Award from the Global Federation of |
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| 38 | 39 | | Chinese Business Women, the Yellow Rose of Texas award from the |
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| 39 | 40 | | governor of Texas, the Corporate Impact Award from the Chinese |
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| 40 | 41 | | Professional Club, and the President's Volunteer Service Award from |
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| 41 | 42 | | President Barack Obama; and |
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| 42 | 43 | | WHEREAS, James and Leeshan Birney have furthered the |
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| 43 | 44 | | prosperity and well-being of the Houston area through their |
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| 44 | 45 | | business and philanthropic endeavors, and they are truly deserving |
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| 45 | 46 | | of special recognition; now, therefore, be it |
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| 46 | 47 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 47 | 48 | | Legislature hereby congratulate James and Leeshan Chuang Birney on |
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| 48 | 49 | | the success of Stone Mountain Properties and commend them for their |
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| 49 | 50 | | many years of community service and charitable giving; and, be it |
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| 50 | 51 | | further |
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| 51 | 52 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 52 | 53 | | prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Birney as an expression of high regard by |
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| 53 | 54 | | the Texas House of Representatives. |
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