Biography

STATE REPRESENTATIVE VICKI TRUITT

TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

DISTRICT 98

Now in her fifth term in office, our own state Rep. Vicki Truitt has become a leader in the Texas House of Representatives.  She is the current Chairman of Texas House of Representatives' Committee on Pensions and Investments, and is a member of the House Committee on Public Health.  Prior to ascending to the chair of Pensions and Investments, she was Chairman of Budget and Oversight for the House Committee on Public Health, Vice Chairman of the prestigious Sunset Advisory Commission, and a member of the state's budget writing Appropriations Committee.

Vicki is a native and lifelong resident of Northeast Tarrant County, and remains involved in community endeavors.  She is a member of the Northeast Leadership Forum, the Metroport Cities Partnership, the Southlake Executive Forum, the Mid-Cities Supporters of SafeHaven, an Honorary member of the Southlake Rotary Club, Advisory Board for Southlake Art in the Square, and, among others, has served on the boards and executive committees of Metroport Meals On Wheels and ARTSNET (formerly the Arts Council of Northeast Tarrant County).  She is the Past-President of the Rotary Club of Keller, as well as the Past-President of the Keller Rotary Foundation.  She has been a Rotary Interact Club advisor, has hosted Rotary International Exchange Students, and is a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow.

Vicki serves on the Executive Committee of the Texas Office for the Prevention of Developmental Disabilities, and is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), where she was an invited speaker during NCSL's 2007 national meeting in Philadelphia.  And Rep. Truitt was recently appointed to the State Pension Review Board, a nine-member board made up of elected officials and members of the public that oversees all of the public pension plans in Texas.

Outside the Texas Legislature, Vicki has worked in the health care field for more than three decades.  She owns and operates a small health care consulting company specializing in medical staff development.  She and her husband, Jim, have been married for 29 years.  They have two adult daughters and five grandchildren.  In her former life, Vicki trained and showed horses, and was a national champion barrel racer and rodeo queen.

One newspaper described her as "having a calm demeanor, yet bulldog determination."  In fact, during her first term in office, her House colleagues gave her the nickname, "Bulldog."  But she says that her determination and tenacity are focused to serve those to whom she owes her allegiance - the people of the 98th Texas House District, and she says that, "Resolve, and a willingness to engage in an occasional war of the wills is essential if I am to effectively serve the people I represent."

Legislative Awards and Recognition
Rep. Truitt has received many awards for her legislative service, the most recent of which include:

• "Legislator of the Year in 2008", by the Texas Police Chiefs Association for her work to enhance penalties for burglary of a motor vehicle
   
• Honored by the Texas Retired Teachers Association in recognition of outstanding advocacy on behalf of retired educators in Texas, April, 2008
   
• SafeHaven Tarrant County "Katie Sherrod Advocacy Award" in recognition of outstanding advocacy on behalf of victims of domestic violence, February, 2008
   
• "Fighter of Free Enterprise Award" from the Texas Association of Business
   
• The "2007 Legislative Hall of Fame"  by the Texas Association of Realtors
   
• "Legislative Star Award" by the Texas Classroom Teachers Association
   
• The "Texas Hospital Advocacy Tribute" from the Texas Hospital Association
   
• The "Betty Hardwick Best of Texas Award", symbolizing the best and highest contribution in public service, given by the Texas Council of Community Mental Health and Mental Retardation Centers
   
• The Texas Academy of Physicians, "2005 Presidential Award of Merit" for exemplary service to the specialty of family medicine in Texas
   
• The Texas Health Resources'  "Excellence in Public Service Award"
   
• The "2005 Representative of the Year” from the Texas Organization of Residential Care Homes for being an outstanding supporter of residential care and assisted living