| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 1086 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, North Texas residents are mourning the loss of Gregg |
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| 6 | 6 | | Hudson, president and CEO of the Dallas Zoo, who died in April 2023, |
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| 7 | 7 | | at the age of 64; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Hired to lead the zoo in 2006, Mr. Hudson oversaw |
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| 9 | 9 | | its transition from city ownership to a public/private partnership |
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| 10 | 10 | | in 2009; he worked tirelessly to ensure funding for a major |
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| 11 | 11 | | development, the 11-acre Giants of the Savanna habitat, which |
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| 12 | 12 | | opened in 2010, allowing visitors to watch the interactions of |
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| 13 | 13 | | elephants, giraffes, zebras, and ostriches; zoo attendance surged |
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| 14 | 14 | | and the annual revenue stream doubled to more than $40 million; |
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| 15 | 15 | | since 2015, the zoo has averaged over 1 million visitors a year; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Although the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted |
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| 17 | 17 | | attendance growth, Mr. Hudson skillfully navigated through that |
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| 18 | 18 | | crisis; he provided steady guidance in early 2023 when the zoo was |
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| 19 | 19 | | beset by a series of bizarre incidents involving vandalism and the |
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| 20 | 20 | | theft of animals; throughout his tenure, he emphasized increasing |
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| 21 | 21 | | conservation resources and education programming; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Hudson was an inspiring mentor to many in his |
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| 23 | 23 | | industry, and for over three decades, he was a trailblazer in |
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| 24 | 24 | | wildlife conservation; he served on the board of the national |
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| 25 | 25 | | Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in |
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| 26 | 26 | | Rwanda, and the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education |
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| 27 | 27 | | Center in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Before taking the helm of the Dallas Zoo, Mr. Hudson |
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| 29 | 29 | | served for over 5 years as president and CEO of the Cincinnati Zoo |
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| 30 | 30 | | and Botanical Garden, and during his 10 years as executive director |
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| 31 | 31 | | and CEO of the Fort Worth Zoo, he led its privatization in the early |
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| 32 | 32 | | 1990s; he brought to the industry experience gained in the |
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| 33 | 33 | | hospitality sector, through employment by hotels and the Six Flags |
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| 34 | 34 | | theme parks; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | WHEREAS, Gregg Hudson was admired not only for his visionary |
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| 36 | 36 | | leadership, but also for his tremendous warmth and kindness, and |
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| 37 | 37 | | although he will be deeply missed, his contributions will continue |
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| 38 | 38 | | to resonate in the years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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| 39 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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| 40 | 40 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Gregg Hudson and |
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| 41 | 41 | | extend sincere condolences to all who mourn his passing; and, be it |
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| 42 | 42 | | further |
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| 43 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 44 | 44 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 45 | 45 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Gregg |
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| 46 | 46 | | Hudson. |
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| 47 | 47 | | Jones of Dallas |
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| 48 | 48 | | ______________________________ |
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| 49 | 49 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 50 | 50 | | I certify that H.R. No. 1086 was unanimously adopted by a |
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| 51 | 51 | | rising vote of the House on April 20, 2023. |
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| 52 | 52 | | ______________________________ |
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| 53 | 53 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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