H.R. No. 84
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Michael Kester is retiring as chief of the Harlingen
Police Department on February 4, 2025, drawing to a close an
exemplary tenure with the agency that has spanned 35 years; and
WHEREAS, Chief Kester began his law enforcement career with
the Harlingen Police Department in 1990, and he was promoted to
sergeant in 1993, to lieutenant in 2001, and to captain in 2003;
after serving as interim chief for six months in 2011, he was named
deputy chief in 2012, and three years later, he was appointed
assistant chief/chief of staff; and
WHEREAS, Since 2019, he has served as chief of police,
overseeing the entire department, which includes 144 sworn officers
and 53 civilian personnel; over the course of his distinguished
career, Chief Kester has spent more than 23 years in executive
leadership roles, and he has worked in nearly every division of the
department, including patrol, training, records, support services,
criminal investigations, and the city jail; and
WHEREAS, An alumnus of Unity College in Maine, Chief Kester
went on to graduate from the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement
Management Institute of Texas and the Leadership Command College at
Sam Houston State University, and in 2019 he completed the Texas
Certified Public Manager Program at The University of Texas Rio
Grande Valley; in all his endeavors, he has enjoyed the love and
support of his wife, Debora, and their 4 children and 11
grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Chief Kester's dynamic leadership and commitment to
excellence have greatly benefited the citizens of Harlingen and
earned him the respect and admiration of his fellow officers, and he
may indeed reflect with pride on a career well spent as he embarks
on the next exciting chapter of his life; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Chief Michael Kester on his
retirement from the Harlingen Police Department and extend to him
sincere appreciation for his many years of dedicated service; and,
be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Chief Kester as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Lopez of Cameron
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 84 was adopted by the House on March
6, 2025, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House