[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 152 (Friday, November 30, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING THE HONORABLE ELMA TERESA SALINAS ENDER

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                           HON. HENRY CUELLAR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 30, 2012

  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize The Honorable 
Elma Teresa Salinas Ender, an award recipient of the Lifetime 
Achievement Award by the Laredo-Webb County Bar Association for her 
accomplishments and services in Webb County of South Texas. Judge Ender 
is currently completing her term in the 341st Judicial District Court 
in Laredo, Texas.
  Judge Ender, a native Laredoan, is a remarkable and highly respected 
member of the community who has dedicated her life to promoting 
fairness and justice. She serves the community as Texas Supreme Court 
Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families. Judge 
Ender became the youngest woman and first Hispanic female to serve as a 
district court judge in Texas. She is also the longest serving district 
court judge in Webb County in recent history, serving one appointed 
term and seven elected terms consecutively.
  Currently, Judge Ender serves as chair for the Board of Judges 
overseeing the Auditor and on the Indigent Defense Services Oversight 
Committee for the Webb County Judiciary. She holds a Juris Doctor 
degree from St. Mary's University School of Law and a B.B.A. from 
University of Texas in Austin, with a major in accounting. She holds a 
Certificate in Commercial and International Arbitration from the 
University of Houston Law School, A. A. White Dispute Resolution Center 
and certificates in dispute resolution from the National College for 
the Judiciary, the Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution at the 
University Of Texas School Of Law, and the DRC in Austin, Texas. 
Appointed in 1995 by then Governor George Bush, as an ad hoc committee 
member, Judge Ender worked to rewrite the Texas Code of Criminal 
Procedure. Appointed by Governor Mark White in 1986, she served on a 
Task Force charged with drafting professional standards to be used to 
certify juvenile detention centers. She has served as President, Vice 
President and 4th Administrative District Representative for the Texas 
District Judges' Association.
  Not only has Judge Ender enjoyed an esteemed and honorable career, 
she also devotes much of her time to community organizations. She was 
one of the five Leadership Texas Alumnae who initiated, planned and 
funded the Leadership Laredo program sponsored by the Laredo Chamber of 
Commerce. Judge Ender is involved in numerous civic and community 
activities. Her leadership in organizations includes Leadership Texas, 
the Laredo Business and Professional Women's Association, and 
participation in the National Hispana Leadership Institute, which 
included study at Harvard University's JFK School of Public Affairs. 
She has received numerous awards throughout her career, including 
``Laredoan of the Year'' in 2012, Laredo UT Exes Longhorn Legacy Award 
in 2008, and the 2003 Tejano Achievement Award, to name a few. 
Additionally, she has been featured in numerous publications due to her 
influence in Texas. She is married to David Ender and they are the 
proud parents of two daughters.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored and pleased to have had this time to 
recognize The Honorable Elma Teresa Salinas Ender on her career and 
community involvement. She has contributed her time, knowledge, and 
efforts to the judiciary and to community outreach.

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