H.R. No. 197
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Ellen Forsythe is retiring as director of education
and meetings for the Texas Veterinary Medical Association in 2023,
drawing to a close a noteworthy career spanning 37 years; and
WHEREAS, Initially hired as a receptionist, Ms. Forsythe was
asked to plan the association's annual conference; she proved
highly skillful, and under her leadership, the conference grew to
attract more than 4,000 attendees and included a trade show with
over 200 booths; in 2003, the year she became a Certified Meeting
Professional, TVMA joined forces with its counterparts in Oklahoma,
Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico to launch the Southwest
Veterinary Symposium; TVMA continues to host an annual conference
with more than 350 veterinarians and nearly as many veterinary
students, licensed veterinary technicians, certified veterinary
assistants, and others; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Forsythe's many responsibilities in advance of
conferences have ranged from site selection, contract negotiation,
and sponsorship recruitment to marketing, booth sales, and on-site
management; widely known in the meeting-planning industry, she
serves on the board of the Meeting Professionals International
Texas Hill Country Chapter; she has received many accolades from
the group, among them the President's Award and two Volunteer of the
Year Awards; and
WHEREAS, During her long tenure with TVMA, Ms. Forsythe has
worked closely with the continuing education and conference
committee to provide hundreds of hours of continuing education for
veterinarians; she has also served as support staff for the ethics
and grievance committee, which has relied on her patience and
compassion in fielding calls from distressed pet owners; and
WHEREAS, Ellen Forsythe has greatly benefited TVMA through
her professionalism and commitment to excellence, and as she
embarks on the next exciting chapter of her life, she may indeed
reflect with pride on her accomplishments; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Ellen Forsythe on her retirement
from the Texas Veterinary Medical Association and extend to her
sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Ms. Forsythe as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Stucky
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 197 was adopted by the House on
February 21, 2023, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House