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| 6 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Michael Kester is retiring as chief of the Harlingen |
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| 8 | 9 | | Police Department on February 4, 2025, drawing to a close an |
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| 9 | 10 | | exemplary tenure with the agency that has spanned 35 years; and |
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| 10 | 11 | | WHEREAS, Chief Kester began his law enforcement career with |
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| 11 | 12 | | the Harlingen Police Department in 1990, and he was promoted to |
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| 12 | 13 | | sergeant in 1993, to lieutenant in 2001, and to captain in 2003; |
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| 13 | 14 | | after serving as interim chief for six months in 2011, he was named |
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| 14 | 15 | | deputy chief in 2012, and three years later, he was appointed |
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| 15 | 16 | | assistant chief/chief of staff; and |
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| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, Since 2019, he has served as chief of police, |
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| 17 | 18 | | overseeing the entire department, which includes 144 sworn officers |
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| 18 | 19 | | and 53 civilian personnel; over the course of his distinguished |
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| 19 | 20 | | career, Chief Kester has spent more than 23 years in executive |
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| 20 | 21 | | leadership roles, and he has worked in nearly every division of the |
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| 21 | 22 | | department, including patrol, training, records, support services, |
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| 22 | 23 | | criminal investigations, and the city jail; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, An alumnus of Unity College in Maine, Chief Kester |
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| 24 | 25 | | went on to graduate from the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement |
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| 25 | 26 | | Management Institute of Texas and the Leadership Command College at |
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| 26 | 27 | | Sam Houston State University, and in 2019 he completed the Texas |
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| 27 | 28 | | Certified Public Manager Program at The University of Texas Rio |
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| 28 | 29 | | Grande Valley; in all his endeavors, he has enjoyed the love and |
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| 29 | 30 | | support of his wife, Debora, and their 4 children and 11 |
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| 30 | 31 | | grandchildren; and |
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| 31 | 32 | | WHEREAS, Chief Kester's dynamic leadership and commitment to |
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| 32 | 33 | | excellence have greatly benefited the citizens of Harlingen and |
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| 33 | 34 | | earned him the respect and admiration of his fellow officers, and he |
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| 34 | 35 | | may indeed reflect with pride on a career well spent as he embarks |
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| 35 | 36 | | on the next exciting chapter of his life; now, therefore, be it |
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| 36 | 37 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 37 | 38 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Chief Michael Kester on his |
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| 38 | 39 | | retirement from the Harlingen Police Department and extend to him |
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| 39 | 40 | | sincere appreciation for his many years of dedicated service; and, |
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| 40 | 41 | | be it further |
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| 41 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 42 | 43 | | prepared for Chief Kester as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 43 | 44 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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