Senator Eliot Shapleigh has represented El Paso for almost ten years with passion and purpose. His district, District 29, which encompasses most of El Paso, is a culturally diverse mix of hard working families, small businesses and young people. As a fifth-generation El Pasoan whose roots in his community trace back to 1847, Senator Shapleigh's strong connection to his district has inspired creative community-based leadership since 1996.
Senator Eliot Shapleigh is as deeply committed to the El Paso community as he is to his family. He is the proud father of Zoe and Ben Shapleigh.
Background
Eliot Shapleigh was born and raised in El Paso. He has lived and traveled extensively in Mexico, and is a fluent Spanish speaker today. Senator Shapleigh graduated from Rice University in 1974 and served in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, West Africa until 1977. He then attended The University of Texas School of Law, graduating in 1981. In 1983, Senator Shapleigh founded his own law firm with two partners and today is the managing partner of the Shapleigh Law Firm, PC.
Legislative Record
Last May, Senator Shapleigh completed his fifth Session as a legislator. During his tenure as a state Senator, he has authored or sponsored more than 400 bills, with particular focus on education, economic development, infrastructure, technology, veteran and health care issues. Additionally, he has been integral in helping prepare the State for the Department of Defense's periodic reassessment of infrastructure needs, or base realignment and closure (BRAC). In fact, in 2003, Senator Shapleigh spearheaded the state's preparation for the 2005 BRAC round by authoring the omnibus Texas Military Preparedness Act, SB 652.
As a result of his commitment to Texas' defense dependent communities and military heritage, Senator Shapleigh was appointed Chair of the Subcommittee on Base Realignment and Closure in 2004 and continues to lead that committee. Additionally, Shapleigh is a member of the International Relations and Trade Committee, the Transportation and Homeland Security Committee, the Veteran Affairs and Military Installations Committee, and the Texas Sunset Commission. He also serves as Chair of the Economic Development Committee of the ten state Border Legislative Conference.
Senator Shapleigh is dedicated to increasing equity in state funding, ensuring fairness in state taxation, expanding educational opportunities for minority and low-income students and developing community solutions for health, safety and environmental issues. As an advocate for El Paso and other border communities, he is also interested in raising per capita income and boosting economic prosperity along the Texas Border.
Honors
Throughout Senator Shapleigh's service in the Senate, he has received numerous honors for his work on educational, health, and border issues, on developing innovative technology programs, and for his integrity and passion.
National honors include being named a Visionary Technology Innovator by the Center for Digital Government in 2003 for his commitment to expanding access to government services through technology. In particular, the Center for Digital Government cited Senator Shapleigh's work in developing and expanding the TexasOnline state portal and for developing a laptop immersion program. Also, at the national level, Senator Shapleigh was named Legislator of the Year by the American School Health Association for his commitment to the health of school children.
At the state level, he has been named the Texas Legislator of the Year by the Mexican American Bar Association, the Hispanic Journal, Texas Pharmacy Association, Texas Sierra Club, and the Texas American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
His work on behalf of Texas school children has been honored by various Texas advocacy groups. Upon completion of the 78th Legislative session, Shapleigh was named the Texas Classroom Advocate of the Year by the Classroom Teachers Association. Additionally, the Child Crisis Centers of Texas presented Senator Shapleigh with the Texas Advocate for Children Award, and the Texas Equity Center named Senator Shapleigh a "Champion For School Children". Finally, in 2006, the Association of Texas Professional Educators awarded Senator Shapleigh with one of their first "Freedom to Teach" awards.
Additionally, the American Cancer Society presented Senator Shapleigh with the Texas Advocacy Award and the Texas Public Interest Research Group, TexPIRG, named Senator Shapleigh a Public Interest Champion in 2005, and the Texas Guardianship Association gave him 2005's Visionary Award for his work in reforming adult protective services in Texas. Finally, Senator Shapleigh was named the "Conscience of the Senate" by Texas Monthly magazine due to the commitment and integrity he displayed during the most recent legislative session.
In March, 2006, Senator Shapleigh received two additional statewide awards. He was awarded the Education Leadership Award through the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC) and the Legislator of Excellence Award from the Texas Independent Living Council for his part in protecting and advancing the rights of Texans with Disabilities by authoring the Adult Protective Services Reform Act of 2005.
In September 2007, Senator Shapleigh was given the MALDEF Matt Garcia Public Service Award for his work on immigration issues and his leadership on other statewide issues affecting the Mexican-American community. In October 2007, Senator Shapleigh was given the Friend of Education Award from the Texas Council for the Social Studies. The Senator is also the current chairman of the Border Legislative Caucus of the 10 US-Mexico Border States.
Senator Shapleigh was also honored in January 2008 in Austin for his commitment to the advancement of technology in Texas. Senator Shapleigh was recognized by the American Electronics Association (AeA) Texas Council as a 2007 Texas Technology Champion for his pioneer work in developing "Texas Online," one of the top state government websites in the United States; launching the "Texas Technology Immersion Program," a program designed to provide laptops for every Texas public school student; and creating E-Vets, an innovative one-stop shop for Texas veterans to locate key federal, state and local veteran-related programs.
Locally, Senator Shapleigh has been honored by numerous organizations for his commitment to his community. Senator Shapleigh was awarded the Conquistador Award by the El Paso City Council, and named El Pasoan of the Year by El Paso Inc. for his work in bringing a four year medical school to the community. The Black El Paso Democrats named him Humanitarian of the Year in 2004, and he was inducted into the El Paso Democratic Party's Hall of Fame. The El Paso Chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women honored Senator Shapleigh with the Hannah Solomon Award and the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce inducted him into their Technology Hall of Fame. Finally, the Senator has twice been named Public Servant of the Year for El Paso and the Border - by Volar and by "What's Up Magazine". Most recently, the City of Socorro awarded the Senator with the City of Socorro ~District 3 Community Service Award in February 2006.
| VITAL STATISTICS | |
|---|---|
| Address |
800 Wyoming, Suite A El Paso, Texas 79902 (915) 544-1990 |
| Family | Children - Zoe and Ben |
| Date of Birth | November 11, 1952 |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
| Education |
Rice University, BA., 1974 University of Texas School of Law. J.D., 1981 |
| Civic Activities |
Community Scholars - Founder El Paso Pride - Founder Paseno Art in Austin - Founder Salvation Army Board - Former Chair El Paso Economic Development Summit 1998 El Paso Education Summit 2000 Access To Capital Summit 2000 |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Legislative Experience | Senate Member, 1997 - present |
| Current Committee Chairmanships | Subcommittee on Base Closure and Realignment |
| Current Committee Appointments |
Transportation and Homeland Security International Relations and Trade, Vice Chair Veteran Affairs & Military Installations Nominations Sunset Commission |