MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Representatives Ford, Capps, Clark, McCoy, Horne

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING ROBERT ABRAHAM GREENLEE, THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET OFFICE, FOR HIS EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE TO THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE BUDGET COMMITTEE AND TO THE MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE AND FOR HIS MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF SOUND FISCAL MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.

WHEREAS, Robert Abraham Greenlee, the Director of the Legislative Budget Office, recently retired from Mississippi State Government after 39 years of service; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee was born on October 8, 1936, in Jackson, Mississippi, and was the son of the late Maggie and Robert Greenlee of Hermanville, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee graduated from Port Gibson High School in 1954 and furthered his education at the University of Mississippi where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and where he received a bachelor of science degree in business administration in 1959; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee began his interest in state government while still in college, serving as a driver for Fielding Wright during Wright's 1955 campaign for his second term as Governor; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee, upon his graduation from the University of Mississippi, worked in the Ross Barnett gubernatorial campaign and later served as a Colonel on Governor Ross Barnett's staff; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee began work at the Commission of Budget and Accounting in January 1960 during the administration of Governor Ross Barnett and continued his career there until April 1965, at which time he moved from Jackson to Port Gibson to serve as Assistant Plant Comptroller for Allied Chemical Company and subsequently Oliver Electric Company; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee returned to work at the Commission of Budget and Accounting in 1968 as chief accountant and in 1973 was promoted to deputy director and went on to work a total of 23 years for the Commission of Budget and Accounting; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee continued his service to the Legislature upon the abolishment of the Commission of Budget and Accounting in July 1984 by accepting the position of Fiscal Control Officer with the newly created Joint Legislative Budget Committee and Legislative Budget Office; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee was promoted to Director of the Legislative Budget Office in September 1984 and continued in this important position for over 15 years until his retirement on January 31, 2000; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee prepared two biennial and 15 annual state budget recommendations for the Commission of Budget and Accounting and prepared 16 annual state budget recommendations for the Joint Legislative Budget Committee; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee has observed during his career with the Legislature the State General Fund budget recommendation increase from $254 million for fiscal biennium 1962-1964 to $3.6 billion for fiscal year 2000; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee was married to his wife, Mary Jane Wilder, of Greenwood on August 29, 1959; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee and his wife, Mary Jane, are the proud parents of three children, Susan Greenlee South of Spring, Texas, Charles Wilder Greenlee of Ridgeland, Mississippi, and Robert Michael Greenlee who died in 1984; and three grandchildren, James Robert South, Amy Elise South and Charles Wilder Greenlee, II; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee is a member of Port Gibson United Methodist Church where he serves as a teacher for an adult Sunday School class; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee served for six years in the Mississippi Air National Guard from 1959 to 1965 as an Airman First Class, and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Southern Bank of Port Gibson since 1988 and is a member of the bank's finance committee; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee is a member of the National Association of State Budget Officers, which bestowed upon him in May 1999 an honorary membership in recognition of his contributions to state budgeting and in appreciation for his service to the association; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee has been instrumental in the development of important measures to strengthen the state budget process, including the Budget Reform Act of 1992 which limited appropriations to 98% of available funds and which created the General Fund Stabilization Reserve that today has a balance of over $235 million; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenlee has been an exceptionally qualified and dedicated public servant who has devoted 39 years of his life in service to the Legislature and the State of Mississippi and has provided sound advice and counsel to legislators and state agencies and institutions throughout this period:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend Robert A. Greenlee for his outstanding service to the Legislature of the State of Mississippi.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be provided to Robert A. Greenlee and to members of the Mississippi Capitol Press Corps.