house resolution no.365

The Speaker, on behalf of the entire membership of the House of Representatives, offered the following resolution:

A resolution of tribute for the Honorable Thomas Albert.

Whereas, It is with gratitude that we honor Representative Thomas Albert as his time representing the Eighty-sixth District in the Michigan House of Representatives comes to a close. He has shown great leadership and dedication not only to his constituents in Kent and Ionia counties, but to all of Michigan's citizens; and

Whereas, Representative Albert grew up in Kent County as the proud son of a teacher and social worker and is the youngest brother to four law enforcement officers. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science and history from the University of Michigan and a master   s degree in finance from Michigan State University. He served as a logistics officer in the United States Marine Corps from 2007 to 2010, deploying to Iraq in 2009 as a military advisor and, upon his return, serving as a reservist until 2013. Having obtained his chartered alternative investment analyst certification, Representative Albert worked as an investor for the State of Michigan Retirement Systems until his election to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2016. He and his wife, Erica, are raising their five children, Owen, Mary, Jack, Margaret, and Lucia, together in Lowell; and

Whereas, Representative Albert's experience as a logistician and investment advisor was immediately leveraged upon his arrival in Lansing. He served as the chair of the Financial Liability Reform Committee and as a member on the Agriculture, Law and Justice, and Military and Veterans Affairs committees in his first term. In his second term he joined the Appropriations Committee and four of its subcommittees. He served as chair of the Corrections Subcommittee, and as a member of the Agriculture and Rural Development, Military and Veterans Affairs and State Police, and School Aid and Department of Education subcommittees. In his third term, Representative Albert was named chair of the Appropriations Committee, shepherding the entire budget through the appropriations process, playing a key role in most of the major budgetary issues our state faced during the term, and touching every corner of state government. As Appropriations Committee Chair, Representative Albert advocated for the legislature's role in the state's pandemic emergency response and recovery as well as championed a budget that supported adoption and crisis pregnancy centers while restricting state and federal funding for abortion providers and prohibiting medical research on aborted fetal tissue. He also chaired the House Fiscal Agency Board of Governors and was a member of the Legislative Council. Throughout his tenure, he has been a champion for the financial health of Michigan government, with his proudest accomplishments being the reform of the Michigan Public School Employees' Retirement System, sponsoring legislation that ensures financial best practices and secured $750 million in funding for municipal pension debt, investing in and reforming special education funding, and making carnival amusement rides safer for Michigan families; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we offer this expression of tribute to commend and thank the Honorable Thomas Albert for his notable contributions to this legislative body and to our state; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to Representative Albert as an expression of our gratitude and well wishes for the future.