Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush has been named recipient of the 2019 Quasar Award, which will be presented to him at the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership’s annual Quasar Banquet Friday, Jan. 25 in South Shore Harbour Resort’s Crystal Ballroom.
The prestigious award is presented annually to an outstanding elected official or business leader who has demonstrated a strong and continual effort to support the business foundations of the greater Bay Area Houston communities before a crowd of nearly 700 individuals.
“Commissioner George P. Bush is that outstanding elected official who places the protection of Texas at the forefront of his agenda,” BAHEP President Bob Mitchell said in making the announcement. “Due to his forward vision grounded in basic economics, he has been named the 2019 recipient of Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership’s Quasar Award.”
Commissioner Bush wrote a letter to the current administration urging the president to include in his national infrastructure plans a coastal barrier system for the Houston/Galveston area. He declared, “Building the proposed coastal barrier system is an historic opportunity to safeguard our nation’s economy, our national security, and millions of citizen’s lives and livelihood.”
“Through written support and numerous interviews, Commissioner Bush has become the noteworthy champion of the coastal barrier system whose undiminished advocacy has been instrumental in moving the project forward,” Mitchell said. “He is steadfast in his opinion that the expense of doing nothing far outweighs the investment to protect and enhance the Texas coast.
“For his unique leadership and his willingness to promote what was once called an unrealistic plan to what is today considered a critical project for Texas and the nation, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush is highly deserving of the 2019 Quasar Award.”
Previous recipients of the Quasar Award are:
1994 Texas Gov. Ann Richards
1995 U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay
1996 U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
1997 U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson
1998 Johnson Space Center Director George W. S. Abbey
1999 Harris County Judge Robert Eckels and Galveston County Judge Jim Yarbrough
2000 Robert L. Moody Sr.
2001 Houston Mayor Lee P. Brown
2002 Harris County Commissioner Jim Fonteno
2003 U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
2004 Harris County Commissioner Sylvia R. Garcia
2005 President of UTMB-Galveston Dr. John Stobo
2006 Houston Mayor Bill White
2007 NASA Administrator Dr. Michael Griffin
2008 UHCL President Dr. William A. Staples
2009 Johnson Space Center Director Michael L. Coats
2010 Texas State Rep. Craig Eiland
2011 U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
2012 U.S. Sen. John Cornyn
2013 Griffin Partners, Inc. owner and Chairman Fred Griffin
2014 Dr. Renu Khator, Chancellor, University of Houston System, President, University of Houston
2015 Dr. Bill Merrell, George P. Mitchell ‘40 Chair in Marine Sciences, Texas A&M University at Galveston
2016 Dr. Greg Smith, Superintendent, Clear Creek Independent School District
2017 Texas State Sen. Larry Taylor
2018 Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner
