| 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, Joe H. Morin retired from the Economic Development |
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| 6 | 7 | | and Tourism division in the Office of the Governor in January 2017, |
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| 7 | 8 | | concluding a distinguished tenure that spanned 15 years in state |
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| 8 | 9 | | government; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, In 2001, Mr. Morin became the legislative director |
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| 10 | 11 | | for the Texas Department of Economic Development, and he assisted |
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| 11 | 12 | | in attracting the Toyota manufacturing facility to the state; he |
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| 12 | 13 | | also served as a small business advocate in the Office of the |
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| 13 | 14 | | Governor, and he led the effort to create the first statewide online |
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| 14 | 15 | | one-stop shop business portal; moreover, he recruited and organized |
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| 15 | 16 | | the state's first Small Business Innovation Research National |
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| 16 | 17 | | Conference with a view toward bringing more federal technology |
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| 17 | 18 | | funding to Texas-based entrepreneurs; he ultimately managed |
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| 18 | 19 | | finance and tax incentives programs in the Economic Development and |
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| 19 | 20 | | Tourism Office; and |
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| 20 | 21 | | WHEREAS, Before joining state government, Mr. Morin was |
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| 21 | 22 | | employed for two years as vice president of business development |
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| 22 | 23 | | for Harvard Technologies in Austin; he previously supported the |
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| 23 | 24 | | business community for 15 years as president of the Texas |
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| 24 | 25 | | Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce, where he |
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| 25 | 26 | | developed new chamber organizations, created strategic |
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| 26 | 27 | | partnerships with over 50 major Fortune 500 corporations, and |
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| 27 | 28 | | launched key alliances with The University of Texas, Texas A&M |
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| 28 | 29 | | University, and the U.S. Small Business Administration; in |
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| 29 | 30 | | addition, he cofounded a mentorship program, Step Up To Success, |
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| 30 | 31 | | which was recognized as a model youth entrepreneurship initiative |
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| 31 | 32 | | by the U.S. Department of Commerce; he began his career in 1979 with |
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| 32 | 33 | | SER-Jobs for Progress; and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Born and raised in Sinton, Mr. Morin is an alumnus of |
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| 34 | 35 | | Southwest Texas State University and The University of Texas at |
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| 35 | 36 | | Austin; over the years, he has served on the boards of the Greater |
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| 36 | 37 | | Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Society of |
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| 37 | 38 | | Association Executives, and the Austin-Saltillo Sister Cities |
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| 38 | 39 | | Association; he also cofounded the Economic Growth Business |
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| 39 | 40 | | Incubator, which is dedicated to nurturing entrepreneurs in Austin; |
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| 40 | 41 | | along with his wife, Lupe Morin, he received the Greater Austin |
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| 41 | 42 | | Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015; |
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| 42 | 43 | | and |
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| 43 | 44 | | WHEREAS, Through his skill, vision, and commitment to the |
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| 44 | 45 | | business community, Joe Morin has contributed to the prosperity of |
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| 45 | 46 | | the Lone Star State, and he may indeed reflect with pride on his |
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| 46 | 47 | | many accomplishments; now, therefore, be it |
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| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 48 | 49 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Joe H. Morin on his retirement from |
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| 49 | 50 | | the Office of the Governor and extend to him sincere best wishes for |
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| 50 | 51 | | the future; and, be it 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. Morin as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 53 | 54 | | House of Representatives. |
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