--- title: HR 78. Harrison, Venessa C.; retirement; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr78 cite_as: HR 78, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr78 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr78.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr78/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69611 date: 2025-01-28 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr77.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr79.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr78.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 78 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-01-28 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Don Parsons - Tyler Smith - Al Williams - Esther Panitch text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR78/2025 upstream_id: 1945109 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - legislative commendation - AT&T - Georgia House resolution - community leadership --- # HR 78. Harrison, Venessa C.; retirement; commend ## Text House Resolution 78 By: Representatives Parsons of the 44th, Smith of the 18th, Williams of the 168th, and Panitch of the 51st A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Venessa C. Harrison upon her retirement; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, with an admirable 45 years of dedicated service, Venessa C. Harrison is set to retire on January 31, 2025, from her role as president of AT&T Southeast Coastal States, leaving behind a profound and lasting legacy; and WHEREAS, she began her career as a telephone operator and rose through the ranks to executive leadership, inspired by her mother's teachings on the importance of education, hard work, and community involvement; and WHEREAS, her leadership has been instrumental in shaping AT&T's public policy, economic development, and community relations in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, fostering growth and building positive relationships within these states; and WHEREAS, Venessa C. Harrison is a dedicated advocate for youth, and her efforts have empowered undeserved communities, driving significant impact and change for our most needed families; and WHEREAS, she has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to civic leadership, serving on numerous prestigious boards, including the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Georgia Historical Society, earning recognition as a top community development advocate; and WHEREAS, Venessa C. Harrison's passion for service and helping uplift those around her will forever impact countless youth and families across Georgia; and WHEREAS, following her retirement, she intends to continue her impactful work by contributing to nonprofit organizations in an advisory capacity, using her expertise to help them thrive. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and commend Venessa C. Harrison upon the grand occasion of her retirement for her outstanding career at AT&T, her transformative leadership, and her invaluable contributions to the communities she has served. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Venessa C. Harrison. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution formally commends Venessa C. Harrison, president of AT&T Southeast Coastal States, on her retirement after 45 years of service. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia House of Representatives. It does not change any law. Instead, it recognizes Venessa C. Harrison, who is retiring on January 31, 2025 after 45 years with AT&T, most recently as president of AT&T Southeast Coastal States. The text recounts her career path from telephone operator to executive leadership, her role shaping AT&T's public policy and community relations across Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, and her civic service on boards such as the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Georgia Historical Society. The House resolves to commend her and directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for her. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Venessa C. Harrison by name for her 45 years of service and retirement from AT&T. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to her. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory change; it is a ceremonial statement of the House's opinion. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Venessa C. Harrison. It has no legal effect on the public, businesses, or government agencies; it is a symbolic gesture from the Georgia House of Representatives. ### Why it matters Resolutions like this carry no legal weight and change nothing about how Georgia is governed. Their significance is symbolic, recording the House's formal appreciation for an individual's career and community contributions in the official legislative record. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe Harrison's 45-year AT&T career, her civic board service, and her plans to advise nonprofits after retiring. - The resolving clause has the House commend her for her career, leadership, and community contributions. - A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to her. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-01-28) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-01-28) - Sponsors: Don Parsons, Tyler Smith, Al Williams, Esther Panitch - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69611 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr78.md?full=1