Senate Concurrent Resolution 558

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING THE SELFLESS SERVICE AND DEDICATED CAREER OF ROBERT R. LATHAM, JR., UPON HIS RETIREMENT AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MISSISSIPPI EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.

WHEREAS, after more than 25 years of public service, as of July 1, 2006, Robert R. Latham, Jr., Executive Director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and a native of Senatobia, Mississippi, ended his career in public service to the citizens of Mississippi upon his retirement; and

WHEREAS, having served as MEMA's Executive Director for six years, he lead the state's response and recovery efforts to more than 11 Presidential Disaster Declarations, 7 United States Small Business Administration Disaster Declarations and 19 Governor Declared State of Emergencies; including our nation's worst natural disaster, Hurricane Katrina, which struck the state on August 29, 2005; and

WHEREAS, during his tenure at MEMA, Robert Latham had the vision to ensure federal funding to help build a state-of-the-art emergency operations center and to purchase a mobile operations unit, to increase the state's county emergency management programs from 46 to all 82 counties to ensure that all local governments in the state are prepared to respond and recover from future disasters; and

WHEREAS, before joining the agency in February 2000, Robert also served the citizens as Tate County's Emergency Management Director, Fire Coordinator and as President of the Tate County E-911 Board; and 18 years as Chief of the Senatobia Volunteer Fire Department; and

WHEREAS, he also served for 26 years with the Mississippi National Guard and retired from that career in 1995 at the rank of Sergeant Major; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Latham also served on various committees and organizations including two terms as President for the Central United States Earthquake Consortium, Chairmanship of the National Emergency Management Association's Legislative Committee, and lifetime membership to the Mississippi Civil Defense/Emergency Management Association, an organization that recognized him as the Emergency Manager of the Year Award in 2000; and

WHEREAS, Robert Latham was also presented with many awards and accommodations during his career for his lifelong service to always help further the cause of emergency management not only throughout Mississippi, but the entire United States, as it was his passion to ensure that public education about disaster preparedness was a forefront of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency; and

WHEREAS, this Legislature finds it most benefiting and appropriate to recognize the diligence of this state employee who has unselfishly given of his time and energy to provide a safer and better means of living to all the citizens of this state, and has gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the disaster preparedness of all Mississippi residents:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate Robert Latham on the occasion of his retirement from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and extend warmest wishes for continued success in all his future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Robert R. Latham, Jr., and forwarded to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and members of the Capitol Press Corps.