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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
19-315
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
October 2, 2012
To honor and congratulate Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq., for her years of exemplary work as a legal professional and on the occasion of her retirement from the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking.
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. was born in Greenville, North Carolina, and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio, as a member of the first black family to own a house in Shaker Heights;
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. is the mother of 3 daughters;
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. earned her undergraduate degree from Fisk University and her Juris Doctor from Loyola University School of Law;
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. achieved additional professional credentials in the Executive Training Program at Arthur Anderson & Co. and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Education Program;
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. was appointed and served as Registrar under 2 Arizona governors, managing and directing the state agency with responsibility for regulating contractor licensees;
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. was the second black woman in the history of the state of Arizona to be appointed to an executive agency;
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. was featured in Today’s Arizona Women’s Success Magazine as one of the “Ten Outstanding Women of 1990”;
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. furthered her legal practice in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office as Assistant Attorney General covering organized crime and racketeering in both the Environmental Crimes Unit and the Prison Gang Unit, and also as Chief Counsel, managing the Licensing and Enforcement Unit in the Civil Division;
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. prosecuted and won the first case in the state of Arizona that resulted in conviction and a jail sentence for the illegal disposal of hazardous waste materials;
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. persevered under threats against her life in leading the unit that prosecuted members of prison gangs, including the Aryan Brotherhood and the Mexican Mafia;
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. continued her public service career as the Deputy Public Defender in the Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office;
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. began her work as a legal professional in the District of Columbia as a general practitioner, handling a wide variety of work and cases in the District of Columbia Superior Court;
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. shared her subject matter expertise throughout her career, presenting and conducting seminars on a variety of subject matters, including, environmental health, preparing for court, and insurance fraud;
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. has been formally recognized by multiple employers for her stellar on the job performance and accomplishments;
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. is and has been a member of several professional organizations, including the District of Columbia Bar, D.C. Bar Health Section, D.C. Bar Administrative Law Section, American Bar Association Prison and Jail Problems Section Committee, Arizona State Bar Association Environment and National Resources Section, and the Board of Directors of Arizona Women’s Education and Employment, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. has served as an attorney for over 19 years for the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, working as Supervisory Attorney Advisor, Assistant Attorney General, Deputy General Counsel and General Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq. Retirement Recognition Resolution of 2012”.
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia celebrates Rhonda K. Blackshear, Esq., on the occasion of her retirement, and recognizes her for her many years of service and dedication to the government of the District of Columbia.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
