The Woodlands Township Board of Directors proclaimed June
21, 2010 "Joel Deretchin Day" for his many years of service, dedication and
leadership to The Woodlands, Texas. The Woodlands Township’s Board of Directors gave
honor to him with a special Proclamation.
“The Board of Directors of The Woodlands Township
commends Joel L. Deretchin for his countless contributions to the creation of a
lasting foundation for The Woodlands community, thereby making The Woodlands
one of the most emulated planned communities in the world,” said Bruce Tough,
Chairman of the Board, The Woodlands Township.
For more than 33 years, he worked for The Woodlands Development Company and its
predecessors, and served in every aspect of the community in The
Woodlands, from governance, education, social and religious services to
non-profit and philanthropic organizations and economic development.
For many years, he led the community associations, having served as president of The Woodlands Community
Association, The Woodlands Association, The Woodlands Commercial Owners
Association, The Woodlands Community Service Corporation and The Woodlands Fire
Department. During this time, he also oversaw the development of the
award-winning parks and recreation system in The Woodlands.
In addition, Mr. Deretchin helped found 18 of the 19 Conroe
ISD schools in the Woodlands, The University Center, The John Cooper School and
the Villager newspaper. He also chaired many not-for-profit boards, including
Interfaith of The Woodlands and Montgomery County Youth Services. He was the
founding president of Congregation Beth Shalom.
He has been named Citizen of the Year, a Hometown Hero and a
Paul Harris Fellow. CISD named the Joel L. Deretchin Elementary School in
his honor.
“His leadership and dedication to The Woodlands has truly
been outstanding,” Chairman Tough said. “The Woodlands is a world-class
community and much of this can be attributed to his vision, his leadership, his
commitment, and his love of The Woodlands.”
PROCLAMATION
CELEBRATING DEDICATION TO THE WOODLANDS
A Proclamation of the
Board of Directors of The Woodlands Township of Montgomery
and Harris Counties,
Texas, in honor of Joel L. Deretchin, for his leadership, dedication to
community, commitment, wisdom and knowledge over the past 33 years.
WHEREAS, Joel
L. Deretchin made a study of municipalities and turned it into a multifaceted
lifelong career, working on seven planned communities before settling in The
Woodlands in 1977, and;
WHEREAS, Joel
L. Deretchin has been associated with The Woodlands Development Company and its
predecessors for 33 years, and;
WHEREAS, Joel
L. Deretchin has overseen the development of a community management and
governance system which has grown from a population of 1,500 to more than
92,000 today, and;
WHEREAS, Joel L.
Deretchin has been involved in every aspect of community development in The
Woodlands, including governance, education, social and religious services,
non-profit and philanthropic organizations and economic development, and;
WHEREAS, Joel
L. Deretchin has dedicated countless hours as president and member of the
boards of The Woodlands Community Association, The Woodlands Association, The
Woodlands Commercial Owners Association, The Woodlands Community Service
Corporation and The Woodlands Fire Department, and;
WHEREAS, Joel
L. Deretchin has overseen the planning and development of the award-winning
parks and recreation system in The Woodlands, and;
WHEREAS, Joel
L. Deretchin has been involved in the planning and early development stages of
18 of the 19 Conroe ISD schools in The Woodlands, and helped found The
University Center, The John Cooper School, The Academy for Lifelong Learning at
Montgomery College and The Villager newspaper, and;
WHEREAS, Joel
L. Deretchin K-6 School was named in his honor, and;
WHEREAS, Joel
L. Deretchin has been a director and has chaired many non-profit boards
including Interfaith of The Woodlands and Montgomery County Youth Services,
and;
WHEREAS, Joel
L. Deretchin has been named one of the original Hometown Heroes of The
Woodlands, The Chamber’s Citizen of the Year in 1990, and a Paul Harris Fellow
by The Woodlands Rotary Club, and;
NOW THEREFORE, BE
IT PROCLAIMED, that the Board of Directors of The Woodlands Township of
Montgomery and Harris Counties, Texas, commends Joel L. Deretchin for his
countless contributions to the creation of a lasting foundation for The
Woodlands community, thereby making The Woodlands one of the most emulated
planned communities in the world, and now proclaims June 21, 2010 as Joel L.
Deretchin Day in The Woodlands, Texas.
PASSED, APPROVED
AND ADOPTED this, the 17th day of June, 2010.
