H.R. No. 1608
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Heider Garcia is concluding his exemplary tenure as
  Tarrant County elections administrator on June 23, 2023; and
         WHEREAS, Widely recognized as a leader in his field,
  Mr. Garcia was hired by Tarrant County in 2018; he implemented the
  new Electronic Poll Book platform, advanced the process for
  purchasing new voting equipment, and successfully advocated for
  adoption of the Vote Centers model of voting, also known as
  countywide polling; in 2020, Tarrant County earned an Achievement
  Award from the National Association of Counties in the category of
  Information Technology for Modernizing Election Systems; and
         WHEREAS, Under Mr. Garcia's leadership as administrator, the
  county also received positive reviews from a state audit of the 2020
  voting process, and former Texas Secretary of State John B. Scott
  praised his performance as a model for all to emulate; Mr. Garcia
  has demonstrated a great willingness to address the concerns of
  citizens, answering their questions and welcoming them to tour
  elections facilities and review records; he serves as vice
  president of the Texas Association of Elections Administrators; and
         WHEREAS, Previously, Mr. Garcia was the elections manager
  for Placer County, California, and he served as election systems
  manager for the project team that ran the 2010 automated elections
  in the Philippines, a country of more than 50 million registered
  voters; he was responsible for customizing the technology,
  certifying the solution under VVSG standards in the United States,
  and ensuring total compliance with local legislation; at the end of
  the project, he responded to the information requests from the
  nation's legislative oversight committees; and
         WHEREAS, Born in Pennsylvania, Mr. Garcia earned his
  bachelor's degree in computer engineering from Simon Bolivar
  University in his parents' native Venezuela; he began working as a
  software developer for a company that entered the elections
  business, and he was placed in charge of voting machine deployment
  and certification for 12 nationwide election processes; and
         WHEREAS, Heider Garcia has greatly benefited residents of
  Tarrant County through his skill, expertise, and steadfast
  dedication to the efficiency, accuracy, and transparency of the
  elections process, and his contributions have earned the admiration
  of citizens and professional colleagues alike, in Tarrant County
  and beyond; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
  Legislature hereby honor Heider Garcia for his outstanding service
  as Tarrant County elections administrator and extend to him sincere
  best wishes for continued success in his endeavors; and, be it
  further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for Mr. Garcia as an expression of high regard by the Texas
  House of Representatives.
 
  Turner
  Geren
  Romero, Jr.
  Collier
  Bhojani
 
  ______________________________
  Speaker of the House     
 
         I certify that H.R. No. 1608 was adopted by the House on May
  19, 2023, by a non-record vote.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House