Featured Voice of the Texas GOP: Susan King

Susan Lewis King was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2006 and is now serving her third term representing District 71, which is comprised of Taylor and Nolan Counties in West Central Texas. King, a native of Houston, has lived in Abilene for more than 30 years. Her Texas political roots connect her to the family of Francis R. Lubbock, 9th Governor of Texas.

King attended The University of Texas at Austin and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing with Honors. Upon graduation she returned to Houston and assisted renowned cardiac surgeon Dr. Denton Cooley at the Texas Heart Institute. King eventually became Co-Director of Surgery at St. Luke’s Episcopal, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Texas Heart Institute, the largest surgical unit in the country at that time. Rep. King is co-owner and co-director of Elm Place Ambulatory Surgical Center in Abilene, where she is a practicing surgical nurse alongside her husband Dr. Austin King.

King serves on the House Appropriations Committee, Appropriations Article II Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, Appropriations Subcommittee on Current Financial Condition, Public Health Committee and House Administration Committee. Additional legislative memberships are the Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force, Texas Family Impact Advisory Committee, the House Research Organization Steering Committee, and the Rural, Republican, Tourism, and Sportsman's Caucuses. Community service includes fundraising and volunteer nurse for the Boy Scouts, and former board member of the Abilene Philharmonic, Abilene Ballet Theatre, and Abilene Community Theatre. Additional memberships are the Abilene Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Abilene Chamber Military Affairs Committee, Sweetwater Chamber of Commerce, the National Rifle Association, and the Farm Bureau. King and her family are members of First Central Presbyterian Church where she has taught Sunday school, Bible study, and serves as an Elder. Before serving in the Texas Legislature, Rep. King was elected to the Abilene Independent School District Board of Trustees, where she served from 1998 to 2006 including two years as board president. Rep. King's interests include musical theatre and scuba diving. She is a graduate of Jeff Cooper's Gunsite Training Center located in Gunsite, Arizona, and currently holds a Concealed Handgun License.

Recent awards consist of the Outstanding Service to Career & Technology Education by the Career & Technology Association of Texas, the Texas Association of Business' "Fighter for Free Enterprise Award," the Texas Hospital Association's 2009 Texas Hospital Advocacy Tribute award, being named "2009 Legislator of the Year" by the Texas Rehab Action Network, and receiving the 2009 Inaugural Champion for Nursing Award from the Texas Association of Deans & Directors of Professional Nursing Programs.

King and her husband are parents of three grown children and have three grandchildren. They are owners of Windy Bluff, a ranch in Taylor County with a small cow-calf operation.

Source: www.house.state.tx.us

"Research provided by the Texas Education Agency substantiates the positive effect of arts participation on dropout rates, attendance, and TAKS scores. At this time when we have infinite needs and limited resources, it is important to explore all avenues that are shown to improve learning across academic disciplines." - Susan King
 

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