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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, For many years, James and Leeshan Chuang Birney of |
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Stone Mountain Properties have distinguished themselves through |
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their success as entrepreneurs and as civic leaders in the Houston |
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area; and |
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WHEREAS, After graduating from National Taiwan Normal |
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University, Leeshan Chuang Birney earned a master's degree in |
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business administration from New York University and then founded |
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the Stone Mountain Properties real estate company; James Birney |
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earned his MBA from NYU as well, and he enjoyed a long and |
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successful career on Wall Street as a founding partner of Furman, |
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Selz, Mager, Dietz, and Birney, a brokerage and investment firm, |
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before joining his wife in the family real estate business; in the |
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decades Mr. and Mrs. Birney have worked together at Stone Mountain |
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Properties, they have developed projects in Houston and New Jersey |
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and built a portfolio worth more than $100 million; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout their careers, the Birneys have also |
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given generously of their time and resources to a wide variety of |
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institutions and community organizations; among the entities to |
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benefit from their efforts are the Houston Housing Finance |
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Corporation, the Asian American Business Council of the Asian |
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Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese Community Center, the Global |
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Federation of Chinese Business Women, the Planning Board of the |
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City of Houston, and the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Birney are also supporters of the |
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Chinese American Relief Effort and the Joint Chinese College Alumni |
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Association, which has named a music scholarship in their honor; in |
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addition, they have provided funds for innumerable programs for |
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disadvantaged young people, the elderly, and the disabled, and they |
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actively promote leisure learning, literary seminars, arts |
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exhibitions, and concerts; and |
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WHEREAS, The couple's many honors include the Outstanding |
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Chinese Entrepreneur Award from Chinese21.com, the ILF Regional |
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Leadership Award, the Hua Kuan Award from the Global Federation of |
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Chinese Business Women, the Yellow Rose of Texas award from the |
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governor of Texas, the Corporate Impact Award from the Chinese |
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Professional Club, and the President's Volunteer Service Award from |
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President Barack Obama; and |
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WHEREAS, James and Leeshan Birney have furthered the |
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prosperity and well-being of the Houston area through their |
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business and philanthropic endeavors, and they are truly deserving |
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of special recognition; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate James and Leeshan Chuang Birney on |
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the success of Stone Mountain Properties and commend them for their |
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many years of community service and charitable giving; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Birney as an expression of high regard by |
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the Texas House of Representatives. |
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Murphy |
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Wu |
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Vo |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1198 was adopted by the House on April |
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13, 2017, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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