07
LC 96 2153
House
Resolution 153
By:
Representatives Hugley of the
133rd,
Williams of the
165th,
Lucas of the
139th,
Porter of the
143rd,
Randall of the
138th,
and others
A
RESOLUTION
Recognizing
and commending Representative Calvin Smyre and congratulating him on the
occasion of his election as the President of the National Black Caucus of State
Legislators; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
for his massive contributions to the City of Columbus, the State of Georgia, and
the United States, Representative Calvin Smyre has been elected to serve as the
President of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators; and
WHEREAS,
he was born on May 17, 1947, in Columbus, Georgia, and attended Fort Valley
State University, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and
minoring in Accounting; and
WHEREAS,
Representative Smyre's career path has taken him from his humble beginnings as a
community organizer and director of the "War on Poverty" program in Columbus to
his current position as a prominent national figure in the world of finance,
acting as the executive vice president of corporate affairs for Synovus
Financial Corporation, a diversified financial services company based in
Columbus with more than $30 billion in assets, and as the chairman and CEO of
the Synovus Foundation; and
WHEREAS,
Representative Smyre has served as a member of several legislative committees,
including the Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for dividing up the
state's budget, and the calendar-setting Rules Committee and has served as
Chairman of the House Rules Committee and University System of Georgia
Committee, which has oversight responsibility for the state's 34 public colleges
and universities, and the House Industrial Relations Committee; and
WHEREAS,
Representative Smyre sits on the Board of Trustees of the Medical College of
Georgia Foundation, the Morehouse School of Medicine, the Jack D. Hughston
Foundation, and the Fort Valley State University Foundation, among others;
and
WHEREAS,
Representative Smyre has been selected as a delegate to attend the past seven
Democratic National Conventions and has provided his expertise to a number of
political campaigns on both the state and national levels, including his service
as a southern campaign advisor for President Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Deputy
Campaign Director in Kentucky in 1980, senior advisor in the campaigns of
Governor Joe Frank Harris and Governor Zell Miller, Campaign Director of the
Georgia Democratic Party Unified Campaign Committee in 1988 and 1990,
Co-chairman of President Clinton's campaign in Georgia in 1992 and 1996, and
Chairman of the Georgia Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign in 2000;
and
WHEREAS,
Representative Smyre has been instrumental in authoring legislation for the
recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., instituting his birthday as a state
holiday; for the creation of the Georgia Dome, home of the Atlanta Falcons; and
for the historic creation of a new Georgia State Flag; and
WHEREAS,
he was elected Chairman of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus in 1979; was
elected to the Democratic National Committee in 1985, becoming the first African
American elected official from Georgia to serve in this post; and in 1986 was
appointed Administrative Floor Leader by Governor Harris, becoming the first
African American to hold this position; and
WHEREAS,
Representative Smyre has been a heroic and generous figure to the City of
Columbus, as he was instrumental in the construction of the $62 million Columbus
RiverCenter, served as President of the Liberty Theatre Cultural Center, and has
been honored twice as the "Citizen of the Year"; and
WHEREAS,
his election as the President of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators
marks one more moment in a long list of amazing victories, victories that
Representative Smyre unhesitatingly shares with the citizens of Georgia and the
United States, and his life will continue to serve as an inspiration for
generations to come.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of
this body commend Representative Calvin Smyre for an outstanding career in
public service and extend to him the sincerest best wishes for his
future.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Representative Calvin Smyre.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Representative Calvin Smyre.