MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2013 2nd Extraordinary Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) Burton

Senate Concurrent Resolution 517

(As Adopted by Senate and House)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS OF DR. ALBERT RANDEL (RANDY) HENDRIX, FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH, AND EXPRESSING THE SYMPATHY OF THE LEGISLATURE.

     WHEREAS, it is with sadness that we acknowledge the loss of Dr. Albert Randel (Randy) Hendrix, respected former Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health; and

     WHEREAS, at the time of Dr. Hendrix's retirement, he was the longest-serving Mental Health Director in the nation.  Having served as the Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health since 1986, he retired after 39 years of public service; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Randy Hendrix was a native Mississippian.  He was a combat veteran of the United States Armed Forces, having served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970.  Following his Army discharge, Dr. Hendrix returned to Mississippi to complete graduate studies at the University of Mississippi, where he completed his master's degree in 1971, and at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he completed his doctoral degree in 1979.  Dr. Hendrix was a member of the Honorary Scholastic Organizations of Phi Theta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Phi Delta Kappa; and

     WHEREAS, "Dr. Hendrix has been a tremendous asset to Mississippi and the citizens and families served by the Department of Mental Health," said Edwin C. LeGrand III, DMH Deputy Executive Director.  "It has been a privilege to work with a man of his ability.  His insight and leadership have been one of the main reasons the availability of mental health treatment in Mississippi has progressed over the past years.  He will truly be missed"; and

     WHEREAS, he began his professional career with the Department of Mental Health at Ellisville State School in 1971.  In 1975, Dr. Hendrix was appointed Director of the North Mississippi Regional Center in Oxford, Mississippi.  At the age of 28, he was the youngest director of a major facility in the nation.  While in Oxford, he was also a Professor of Special Education and an Adjunct Professor in Healthcare Administration at the University of Mississippi.  In November of 1986, Dr. Hendrix assumed his current responsibilities as Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, the state's largest agency; and

     WHEREAS, during his career with the Department of Mental Health, Dr. Hendrix served on many Boards and Commissions, including as Chairman of the Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities, member of the Governor's Council on Aging, and as the current Chairman and longest-serving member of the Mississippi Board of Rehabilitation Services.  He served as Past Chairman and was a member of the State Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth with Severe Emotional Problems, the Mississippi Disability Resource Commission, the Children's Trust Fund Advisory Council, and the Statewide CDC Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Planning Advisory Committee.  He was a member and former officer of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Association on Mental Retardation; he had been on the Board of the Mississippi Chapter of the Association of Mental Health Administrators, of which he had been a member since 1987; and he had served as Executive Director for the Mississippi Arts Fair for the Handicapped since 1980; and

     WHEREAS, always a strong supporter of staff in the public mental health system continuing their education, Dr. Hendrix had also completed numerous management programs throughout his career.  He was a graduate of the Executive Education Program at Duke University, the Executive Development Institute of the John C. Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University, and the Certified Public Managers Program; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Hendrix leaves to cherish his memories his wife, Sandy; four children:  Jo Ellen, Sarah Elizabeth, Albert Randel, Jr., and Sandra Louise; and four grandchildren, with one on the way; and

     WHEREAS, we remember Dr. Albert Randel Hendrix for his decades of dedicated and stellar service in the field of mental health, creating, administrating, and funding innovative programs which are providing life-changing advancements and much-needed hope to persons with disabilities and their families; for his invaluable assistance and cooperation with the Legislature in developing complex legislation; for his honorable and distinguished service in the Vietnam War; for his devotion to his family, his church and his community; his entire life, from boyhood to the present has exemplified the ideals of honor, service and courage:

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby mourn the loss of Dr. Albert Randel (Randy) Hendrix, former Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health.

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the surviving family of Dr. Hendrix, forwarded to the Mississippi Board of Mental Health, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.