House Concurrent Resolution 38

(As Adopted by House and Senate)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE DISTINGUISHED AND LAUDABLE LEGISLATIVE CAREER OF FORMER REPRESENTATIVE, THE HONORABLE DEBRA HENDRICKS GIBBS AND CONGRATULATING HER UPON BEING ELECTED TO THE BENCH AS CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE OF DISTRICT 7, PLACE 2, HINDS COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI.

WHEREAS, in the November 29, 2022, runoff election, the citizens of Hinds County returned to the polls to elect former State Representative and daughter of the late Mrs. Ann Augusta Hendricks Page, the Honorable Debra Hendricks Gibbs, to the post of Circuit Court Judge of District 7, Place 2, Hinds County, Mississippi, while simultaneously relaying bittersweet confirmation of an official changing of the guard in the post held for the last six years by a visionary leader, friend, lawmaker and respected jurist; and

WHEREAS, the distinguished Gentle Lady from Hinds County, Mississippi, an honored and cherished member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, revered for her legal expertise and credible passion for public service, Representative Debra Hendricks Gibbs's election to the bench brings a climactic end to the third year of her second term of legislative service as a member of the House of Representatives from District 72, which encompasses portions of Hinds and Madison Counties, after having been initially elected in a special election runoff held on September 13, 2016; and

WHEREAS, a native of Gulfport, Mississippi, Representative Gibbs has made the fulfillment of public service the extent of her life's work and professional career, serving both the public and private sectors, after earning her baccalaureate degree in business administration from the University of Southern Mississippi and M.B.A. from Mississippi College; and

WHEREAS, before embarking upon her journey of jurisprudence, Representative Gibbs initially commenced her professional career as an accountant with Mississippi Power and Light (now Entergy) before transferring to the realm of collegiate academia as instructor and founding Director of Center for Professional Development for Jackson State University, and subsequent thereto, accepting a position as Director of Accounting and Finance for the Mississippi Department of Human Services, where she formulated policies and regulations to ensure agency compliance with state and federal objections; and

WHEREAS, it was during her tenure at MDHS as the agency's guardian of compliance that Representative Gibbs was compelled to make a return to the classroom, not in an instructor's capacity, but once again assuming the role of an eager and ambitious student of law, when she enrolled in Mississippi College School of Law, subjecting herself to the rigorous make-or-break Socratic method employed by law professors and completing the requisite courses of study to obtain her juris doctorate before ultimately sitting for and passing the Mississippi Bar Examination, which led to her admission to the state's judiciary; and

WHEREAS, now equipped with an adept understanding of the letter and analysis of the law, Representative Gibbs returned to an immersive experience in the tapestry of public service as a law clerk at the Mississippi Supreme Court, familiarizing herself with a keen awareness of court etiquette that guided her path as a litigious arbiter of the law as she prepared to take flight as a solo practitioner, wherein such capacity, her objectivity and fairness positioned her for appointment as commissioner of the Mississippi Workers Compensation Commission; and

WHEREAS, after concluding her appointment as commissioner, and having effectively served in the executive and judicial branches of government, Representative Gibbs was poised to successfully fulfill her legislative role at the time of her election and vowed to be a conduit of innovative and progressive collaboration between all three branches of government, as well as local elected officials, while successfully balancing dual roles as an officer of the court and state policymaker to ensure a better quality of life for all, by forging a trail of consensus and relationship building which has manifested itself in the allocation of state funding for District 72 in millions of dollars; and

WHEREAS, gaining stature as a prominent yet formidable politician, the Lady from Hinds' abilities and talent were immediately recognized by her colleagues, and when combined with her strong work ethic, she quickly rose from freshman lawmaker and Vice Chairman of the House Tourism Committee, which oversees policy that governs the state's fourth largest stream of commerce, which generated more than $677 Million in revenue for the State General Fund in 2021, to an influential purveyor of equity, who remained true to her promise of accountability through implementation of her townhall constituent-based accessibility with the District 72 Day; and

WHEREAS, over the course of her storied legislative career, Representative Gibbs's diligence and devotion to the office to which she was elected have been fueled by the desire to make the quality of life better for her immediate constituency base and the entire citizenry of the Hospitality State, as she has endeavored with feverish propensity through her vocal participation on the House committees to which she was assigned, including: Banking and Financial Services, Education, Ethics, Judiciary A, Judiciary B, Judiciary En Banc, Medicaid, Municipalities and Tourism; and

WHEREAS, Representative Gibbs's love and deeply felt respect for the Legislature as a hallowed institution has led her to fight to preserve and nurture its integrity, becoming a guardian of this democratic institution as one who equally held a lion's share in the stake of advancing the direction of the state's economic, educational and political climate, a zealous advocacy that allowed her to be chosen as a Toll Fellow by the Council of State Government, one of the nation's most prestigious leadership development programs; and

WHEREAS, during her tenure in the House, Representative Gibbs maintained a strong role in every meaningful initiative addressed by the Mississippi Legislature, including economic development, fiscal affairs, education, gaming, public health, transportation, agriculture, and election reform initiatives and programs; and

WHEREAS, a rare leader who was able to lead effectively and serve with humility while demonstrating fair and even-handed stewardship of the office to which she was elected, Representative Gibbs is equally committed to the fulfillment of her social and civic obligations, as made evident through her community activism and professional associations, including: New Hope Baptist Church; The LeFleur's Bluff (MS) Chapter of the Links, Inc.; Jack and Jill of America, Inc. (Life Member); Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Life Member); Mississippi Bar Association; Magnolia Bar Association; Mississippi Women Lawyers Association; Women for Progress of Mississippi, Inc.; Metro Jackson Black Women Lawyers Association; and the Capital Area Bar Association; and

WHEREAS, because of her steadfast allegiance to the legal community and to the system of governing with a servant's heart, Representative Gibbs's service has been rewarded with recognitions from the numerous entities of which she is a member, as well as those she has been chosen to serve as their voice, including, but not limited to: Mississippi Bar Association's Lawyer Citizenship Award; State Parent Teacher Association's Parent of the Year Award; Leadership Service Honoree by the Parents for Public Schools; Graduate of Leadership Mississippi; Graduate of Leadership Jackson; Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi's Women of Distinction Award; and the Metro Jackson Black Women Lawyers Association's Top Ten Legal Trailblazer Award; and

WHEREAS, admired for her ability for building consensus in the Legislature regardless of the issues at hand, it is with the same deference that her ascent to the bench is both essential and most appropriate to carry forward the service to the citizens of Hinds County, who avail themselves of the judicial system; and

WHEREAS, the Lady from Hinds exchanged the title of Representative Gibbs for that of Judge Gibbs, and resigned the title "Gentle Lady" for that of "Your Honor," as she makes her departure from the stained glass ceiling and decorative walls of the chamber of the Mississippi House of Representatives for a private judge's chamber, where her legal expertise and experience as a well-versed arbiter of the law will aid her in the even-handed issuance of justice; and

WHEREAS, the members of this Legislature will cherish the bond and common goals for the betterment of our great state shared with Representative Gibbs, and that her impeccable service was unparalleled to the Mississippi Legislature, the constituents of District 72 and to this great state; and

WHEREAS, the service of Representative Gibbs would be without honor but for the continued support, encouragement and love of her loving husband, Robert L. Gibbs, and their two children, Ariana N. Gibbs and Justis R. Gibbs II, each of whom she considers her greatest accomplishments, and who bestow upon her the titles of wife and mother; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to honor the indelible legacy of remarkable service of our former colleague and friend, Representative Debra Hendricks Gibbs, who represented her district, this body and the people of this state with honor and intrepid dignity:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the distinguished and laudable legislative career of former Representative Debra Hendricks Gibbs, congratulate her upon being elected to the bench as the Circuit Court Judge of District 7, Place 2, Hinds County, Mississippi, and express fondest respect and best wishes for continued success in this newly elected role as judge and all her future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Honorable Judge Debra Hendricks Gibbs and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.