Texas 2023 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HR1608 Introduced / Bill

Filed 05/08/2023

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                    88R28745 BPG-D
 By: Turner H.R. No. 1608


 R E S O L U T I O N
 WHEREAS, Heider Garcia is concluding his exemplary tenure as
 Tarrant County elections administrator on June 23, 2023; and
 WHEREAS, Widely recognized as a leader in his field,
 Mr. Garcia was hired by Tarrant County in 2018; he implemented the
 new Electronic Poll Book platform, advanced the process for
 purchasing new voting equipment, and successfully advocated for
 adoption of the Vote Centers model of voting, also known as
 countywide polling; in 2020, Tarrant County earned an Achievement
 Award from the National Association of Counties in the category of
 Information Technology for Modernizing Election Systems; and
 WHEREAS, Under Mr. Garcia's leadership as administrator, the
 county also received positive reviews from a state audit of the 2020
 voting process, and former Texas Secretary of State John B. Scott
 praised his performance as a model for all to emulate; Mr. Garcia
 has demonstrated a great willingness to address the concerns of
 citizens, answering their questions and welcoming them to tour
 elections facilities and review records; he serves as vice
 president of the Texas Association of Elections Administrators; and
 WHEREAS, Previously, Mr. Garcia was the elections manager
 for Placer County, California, and he served as election systems
 manager for the project team that ran the 2010 automated elections
 in the Philippines, a country of more than 50 million registered
 voters; he was responsible for customizing the technology,
 certifying the solution under VVSG standards in the United States,
 and ensuring total compliance with local legislation; at the end of
 the project, he responded to the information requests from the
 nation's legislative oversight committees; and
 WHEREAS, Born in Pennsylvania, Mr. Garcia earned his
 bachelor's degree in computer engineering from Simon Bolivar
 University in his parents' native Venezuela; he began working as a
 software developer for a company that entered the elections
 business, and he was placed in charge of voting machine deployment
 and certification for 12 nationwide election processes; and
 WHEREAS, Heider Garcia has greatly benefited residents of
 Tarrant County through his skill, expertise, and steadfast
 dedication to the efficiency, accuracy, and transparency of the
 elections process, and his contributions have earned the admiration
 of citizens and professional colleagues alike, in Tarrant County
 and beyond; now, therefore, be it
 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
 Legislature hereby honor Heider Garcia for his outstanding service
 as Tarrant County elections administrator and extend to him sincere
 best wishes for continued success in his endeavors; and, be it
 further
 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
 prepared for Mr. Garcia as an expression of high regard by the Texas
 House of Representatives.