hr1704_LC_95_0781_a_2.html
08 LC 95 0781
House Resolution 1704
By: Representatives Shaw of the 176th, Carter of the 175th, and Black of the 174th

A RESOLUTION


Commending Sheriff Marshall Ashley Paulk on the occasion of his retirement; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Sheriff Marshall Ashley Paulk has long been recognized by the citizens of this state for the vital role that he has played in community leadership and his deep personal commitment to public service and the State of Georgia; and

WHEREAS, he was born in Valdosta, Georgia, and received his early education in the Valdosta School System and went on to attend Clemson University; and

WHEREAS, he is a loving husband to his wife of 40 years, Ginger Schroer Paulk, and they are the proud parents of five children and 18 grandchildren, and members of the First Baptist Church of Valdosta; and

WHEREAS, he has diligently and conscientiously devoted innumerable hours of his time, talents, and energy toward the betterment of his state as evidenced dramatically by his many years of exemplary service as sheriff; and

WHEREAS, upon becoming sheriff he instituted several initiatives, including stringent ethics rules which have been adopted by the Georgia Sheriffs' Association of which he is past president, a National Drug Interdiction Training Course, and a release program whereby inmates, sentenced to fines and county jail time, have the opportunity to work at a local business and use their earnings to pay their fines, child support, restitution, and a fee that reduces the cost of inmate housing to the taxpayer; and

WHEREAS, the strength of commitment to his community is shown by his dedication to and involvement in the Boys & Girls Club for 25 years, the Boy Scouts of America, the Georgia Sheriffs' Youth Homes, the Boys Ranch, the Children's Advocacy Center of Lowndes County, the Lowndes Area Adoptive Support Group, the Lowndes County and Valdosta Public School Systems, the Hospice House, events honoring the men and women of Moody Air Force Base, the Lowndes/Echols American Cancer Society Golf Tournament of which he has been chairman for 27 years, the board of Guardian Bank, and America's Second Harvest of South Georgia; and

WHEREAS, in 2006 he received the International Rotary Award for Outstanding Service to the Community, he is a member of the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council, and in 1997 he was named Peace Officer of the Year by the National Exchange Club of Valdosta; and

WHEREAS, his significant organizational and leadership talents, his remarkable patience and diplomacy, his keen sense of vision, and his sensitivity to the needs of the members of his community and this state have earned him the respect and admiration of his colleagues and associates; and

WHEREAS, he is a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness; his loyalty, competency, reliability, and enthusiasm have distinguished his superlative service to this state; and

WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this distinguished Georgian be appropriately recognized.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body commend Sheriff Marshall Ashley Paulk for his many decades of efficient, effective, unselfish, and dedicated public service to the citizens of this state and extend to him their most sincere best wishes for continued health and happiness.

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 Sheriff Marshall Ashley Paulk.