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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, John Cowan is retiring from the Texas Association of |
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Dairymen in June 2011 after serving the organization in several |
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capacities, including that of executive director, and after |
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devoting almost 40 years to the dairy industry; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Cowan began his career in 1970, when he accepted |
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a position with an Associated Milk Producers truck facility in |
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Dublin, Texas; over the years, he rose from washing milk trucks and |
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tanks to assuming increasing levels of responsibility at different |
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cooperative locations, all the while advancing his knowledge of the |
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business through formal and informal education; and |
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WHEREAS, A longtime resident of Dublin, Mr. Cowan also played |
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an active civic role in that community during his years there; he |
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served as president of the Dublin school board and as a member of |
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the Dublin City Council, and in 1985 he was named Man of the Year; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, In 1990, he moved to Arlington to assume a new role |
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with the Associated Milk Producers, which later merged with other |
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cooperatives to form the Dairy Farmers of America; he subsequently |
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became executive director of the newly created Texas Association of |
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Dairymen, a post he held for eight years; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Cowan has additionally worked to advance the |
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interests of his field through his service on various boards and |
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committees and through his involvement with many organizations and |
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state agencies, including the Texas Critical Infrastructure |
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Advisory Group, the State Technical Committee of the Natural |
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Resources Conservation Service, and the United States Animal Health |
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Association; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan has devoted countless hours to |
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advocating for and defending the rights of dairy farmers; his |
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contributions over the course of a distinguished career were |
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recognized in 2009 when the Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council |
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bestowed on him its highest honor, naming him Cooperator of the |
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Year; and |
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WHEREAS, John Cowan has been described by his peers as "a man |
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of extreme importance to agriculture" and as "a hardworking, |
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knowledgeable, honest and loyal representative [of] the industry"; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby extend its thanks and appreciation to John Cowan for his |
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years of service to the Texas dairy industry and wish him the best |
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in his retirement; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Cowan as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives and Senate. |