Texas Commissioner Awarded Public Stewardship Award

Jerry Patterson, commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, received the 2012 Bob Bullock Award for Outstanding Public Stewardship at a banquet held in his honor on Wednesday, July 11. The award is given annually to a Texas state executive or elected official for outstanding leadership, innovation and a career that exemplifies dedication to serving Texas citizens.
 
Before serving three terms as commissioner of the General Land Office of Texas, Patterson was a Texas state senator from 1993-1999. He was recognized for advocating veterans’ causes, promoting Texas history education, and defending individual freedoms and constitutional rights.

Patterson is best known for his successful passage of a concealed handgun law in 1995, a constitutional amendment allowing home equity lending in 1998, a state coastal management plan, and the creation of the Texas State Veterans Home Program.
 
In 2007, Patterson was named Texan of the Year for his promotion of Texas history education and support of Texas Independence Day.
 
Before politics, Patterson was a U.S. Marine for more than 20 years, having volunteered for active duty during the Vietnam War, he was later designated as a naval flight officer, and served in Marine fighter squadrons until his retirement from the Marine Corps Reserve as a lieutenant colonel in 1993.