| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 24 |
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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, Don Sparks, chair of the board for Discovery |
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| 6 | 6 | | Operating, has been named the 2022 Top Hand by the Permian Basin |
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| 7 | 7 | | Petroleum Association; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, An Amarillo native, Mr. Sparks earned a petroleum |
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| 9 | 9 | | engineering degree from The University of Texas at Austin in 1962, |
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| 10 | 10 | | and after serving in the U.S. Navy for four years, he embarked on |
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| 11 | 11 | | his distinguished career in the petroleum industry; initially, he |
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| 12 | 12 | | held a number of engineering and consulting roles with such |
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| 13 | 13 | | companies as Bailey, Sipes, Williamson and Runyan, Freeport Oil |
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| 14 | 14 | | Company, and Shell Oil Company; and |
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| 15 | 15 | | WHEREAS, After settling in Midland, he and his wife, |
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| 16 | 16 | | Gwyndolyn, decided to use their savings to launch Discovery |
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| 17 | 17 | | Operating in 1973; so began the independent company's many decades |
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| 18 | 18 | | of success, and in 2023, Discovery will celebrate its 50th |
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| 19 | 19 | | anniversary; in addition, Mr. Sparks joined with C. Ronald Platt to |
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| 20 | 20 | | cofound the engineering consulting firm Platt, Sparks & Associates |
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| 21 | 21 | | in 1980; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Sparks has been active in myriad professional |
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| 23 | 23 | | organizations, including the Society of Petroleum Engineers |
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| 24 | 24 | | Permian Basin Chapter, the Independent Petroleum Association of |
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| 25 | 25 | | America, and the National Society of Petroleum Engineers; moreover, |
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| 26 | 26 | | his family and company have supported such worthwhile causes as |
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| 27 | 27 | | High Sky Children's Ranch and The Village at Manor Park; in |
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| 28 | 28 | | recognition of his many accomplishments, he was named a UT |
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| 29 | 29 | | Distinguished Alumnus and was inducted into the Petroleum Hall of |
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| 30 | 30 | | Fame, and he has received an Independent Petroleum Association of |
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| 31 | 31 | | America Leadership Award and a Hearst Energy Award for Lifetime |
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| 32 | 32 | | Achievement; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Sparks and Mrs. Sparks are the parents of three |
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| 34 | 34 | | sons, Jeff, Kevin, and Todd, and they also take great pride in their |
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| 35 | 35 | | grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | WHEREAS, Through his leadership, vision, and expertise, Don |
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| 37 | 37 | | Sparks has earned the lasting respect of his peers in the petroleum |
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| 38 | 38 | | industry, and he is truly deserving of this prestigious honor; now, |
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| 39 | 39 | | therefore, be it |
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| 40 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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| 41 | 41 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Don Sparks on his receipt of the |
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| 42 | 42 | | 2022 Top Hand award from the Permian Basin Petroleum Association |
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| 43 | 43 | | and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be |
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| 44 | 44 | | it further |
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| 45 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 46 | 46 | | prepared for Mr. Sparks as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 47 | 47 | | House of Representatives. |
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| 48 | 48 | | Craddick |
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| 49 | 49 | | ______________________________ |
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| 50 | 50 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 51 | 51 | | I certify that H.R. No. 24 was adopted by the House on January |
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| 52 | 52 | | 11, 2023, by a non-record vote. |
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| 53 | 53 | | ______________________________ |
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| 54 | 54 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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