| 1 | 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 418 |
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| 2 | 2 | | WHEREAS, Karen Shira retired from the United Nations |
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| 3 | 3 | | Information Center in Washington, D.C., on March 31, 2021, |
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| 4 | 4 | | drawing to a close more than a quarter century of service to the |
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| 5 | 5 | | organization; and |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Over the course of her exemplary 25-year tenure |
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| 7 | 7 | | with the UN Information Center, Mrs. Shira worked closely with |
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| 8 | 8 | | four secretaries general of the UN, helping to coordinate their |
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| 9 | 9 | | visits to Washington to meet with the president and other |
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| 10 | 10 | | high-ranking federal officials; in addition, she oversaw the |
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| 11 | 11 | | office's accounting, financial, and human resources functions, |
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| 12 | 12 | | and in recent years she was responsible for hiring and mentoring |
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| 13 | 13 | | members of its renowned internship program; she also was a key |
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| 14 | 14 | | player in three large lease renegotiations; and |
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| 15 | 15 | | WHEREAS, Mrs. Shira began her career with the finance |
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| 16 | 16 | | department of the Town of Herndon, Virginia, and worked for a |
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| 17 | 17 | | time as an accountant in the private sector; in 1983, she |
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| 18 | 18 | | graduated from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training |
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| 19 | 19 | | Academy at the top of her class and became a deputy sheriff with |
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| 20 | 20 | | the Fairfax County Sheriff's Department; she later played a vital |
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| 21 | 21 | | role in establishing the accounting practices of the State |
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| 22 | 22 | | Justice Institute in Alexandria, Virginia; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | WHEREAS, In all her endeavors, Mrs. Shira has enjoyed the |
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| 24 | 24 | | love and support of her husband, James, as well as that of her |
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| 25 | 25 | | three sons; the Shiras recently moved to Fort Worth to be close to |
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| 26 | 26 | | their family; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Karen Shira's dedication, hard work, and |
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| 28 | 28 | | commitment to excellence have greatly benefited the mission of |
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| 29 | 29 | | the United Nations and earned her the respect and admiration of |
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| 30 | 30 | | her colleagues, and she may indeed reflect with pride on a career |
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| 31 | 31 | | well spent as she embarks upon the next exciting chapter of her |
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| 32 | 32 | | life; now, therefore, be it |
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| 33 | 33 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 87th |
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| 34 | 34 | | Legislature, hereby congratulate Karen Shira on her retirement |
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| 35 | 35 | | from the United Nations Information Center and extend to her |
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| 36 | 36 | | sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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| 37 | 37 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be |
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| 38 | 38 | | prepared for Mrs. Shira as an expression of high regard from the |
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| 39 | 39 | | Texas Senate. |
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| 40 | 40 | | Powell |
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| 41 | 41 | | ________________________________ |
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| 42 | 42 | | President of the Senate |
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| 43 | 43 | | I hereby certify that the |
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| 44 | 44 | | above Resolution was adopted by |
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| 45 | 45 | | the Senate on May 17, 2021. |
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| 46 | 46 | | ________________________________ |
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| 47 | 47 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 48 | 48 | | ________________________________ |
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| 49 | 49 | | Member, Texas Senate |
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