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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Byron Berkley, president and CEO of Foothills |
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| 6 | 7 | | Entertainment in East Texas, has received the 2017 National |
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| 7 | 8 | | Association of Theatre Owners Marquee Award in recognition of his |
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| 8 | 9 | | leadership in the motion picture theater industry; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Born in California, Mr. Berkley began working at a |
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| 10 | 11 | | movie house when he was still in high school; he joined the United |
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| 11 | 12 | | California Theatres circuit and managed a number of theaters, |
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| 12 | 13 | | including drive-ins; in 1965, he was hired by the Dr Pepper |
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| 13 | 14 | | Company, and he became the national advertising manager responsible |
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| 14 | 15 | | for brand development in theater concessions; he was later employed |
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| 15 | 16 | | as a brand advertising manager at Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company and |
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| 16 | 17 | | as vice president of food service in the Sunkist Beverage Division |
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| 17 | 18 | | of General Cinema Corporation in Atlanta; and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, In 1985, Mr. Berkley bought the Plaza Cinema in |
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| 19 | 20 | | Henderson; he operated the theater from afar and also owned an art |
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| 20 | 21 | | house cinema in downtown Atlanta; after Sunkist was sold, he formed |
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| 21 | 22 | | Foothills Entertainment, acquired the 4 Star Cinema in Kilgore, and |
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| 22 | 23 | | partnered in the purchase of General Cinemas venues in Beaumont; |
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| 23 | 24 | | today, his holdings include 13 screens at four theaters, namely the |
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| 24 | 25 | | Plaza, the 4 Star, the Jackson Cinema in Jacksonville, and the |
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| 25 | 26 | | Brazos Cinema in Mineral Wells; his independent theaters were among |
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| 26 | 27 | | the first to transition to digital screening, and he sponsors |
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| 27 | 28 | | twice-yearly festivals of independent and foreign films; and |
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| 28 | 29 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Berkley has been a member of the executive board |
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| 29 | 30 | | of the National Association of Theatre Owners for more than a |
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| 30 | 31 | | quarter century; he further serves as the organization's treasurer |
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| 31 | 32 | | and as a member of several committees, and he is president of |
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| 32 | 33 | | Theatre Owners of Mid-America, a regional association for |
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| 33 | 34 | | exhibitors in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and |
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| 34 | 35 | | Texas; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, In an era of seismic change in the entertainment |
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| 36 | 37 | | business, Byron Berkley has contributed significantly to the |
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| 37 | 38 | | advancement of independent theater exhibition, and he is indeed |
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| 38 | 39 | | deserving of this prestigious accolade; now, therefore, be it |
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| 39 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 40 | 41 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Byron Berkley on his receipt of the |
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| 41 | 42 | | 2017 National Association of Theatre Owners Marquee Award and |
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| 42 | 43 | | extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it |
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| 43 | 44 | | further |
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| 44 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 45 | 46 | | prepared for Mr. Berkley as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 46 | 47 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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