Senate Resolution No. 2002

BY: Senator MARTINEZ

WELCOMING and paying tribute to David Gill, the
Consul General of Germany in New York State, upon
the occasion of his visit to the New York State
Capitol, Albany, New York, on March 19 and 20, 2024

WHEREAS, The State of New York is greatly enriched by its cultural
diversity and proudly shares a multitude of values and friendship, as
well as familial ties with the people and country of Germany; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize
certain individuals of high standard and professionalism whose singular
objective is given to serving the advancement of democracy in the world;
and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body, representing the people of the State
of New York, is pleased to welcome David Gill, the Consul General of
Germany in New York State, upon the occasion of his visit to the New
York State Capitol, Albany, New York, on March 19 and 20, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Born in 1966 in Shonebeck/Elbe, David Gill was raised by a
protestant minister's family in Herrnhut, Saxony, in former East
Germany; denied a higher education due to the communist regime's control
of his country, he trained and worked as a plumber before joining a
preparatory protestant school and later, the theological seminary of the
Protestant Church in Berlin-Brandenburg; and

WHEREAS, In 1990, David Gill served as the chairman of
Normannenstrasse Citizens' Committee, which oversaw the dissolution of
the Ministry of State Security at the Stasi headquarters and also served
as the secretary of the Special Committee for the dissolution of the
Stasi of the East German Parliament; in 1991, he received the Theodor
Heuss Medal, the highest tribute an individual can achieve from the
Federal Republic of Germany for services to the Nation; and

WHEREAS, Truly a knowledgeable and wise man, after the
reunification, David Gill became the spokesman and head of the research
division of the Federal Commissioner for the Stasi-Files; furthering his
education, he studied law in Berlin at Freie Universitat and then came
to the United States to study in Philadelphia at the University of
Pennsylvania; in addition, he experienced a remarkable internship with
the United States Congress in Washington D.C.; and

WHEREAS, Devoted to his career of serving government, David Gill
held positions such as at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the
Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in Berlin,
then later, served as the Deputy Representative of the Council of the
Protestant Church in Germany to the Federal Republic of Germany and the
European Union; and

WHEREAS, As a testament to his leadership capabilities and
reliability, David Gill was chosen as State Secretary and Chief of Staff
for the German Federal President Joachim Gauck's term from 2012 to 2017;
and


WHEREAS, Since 2017, David Gill has diligently served as Consul
General of Germany in New York State; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is privileged to extend a warm
welcome to an extraordinary visitor of such esteemed position and
purpose and wishes him continued success and happiness in all his future
endeavors; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
welcome David Gill, the Consul General of Germany in New York State,
upon the occasion of his visit to the New York State Capitol, Albany,
New York, on March 19 and 20, 2024; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause further to proclaim David
Gill an Honorary Citizen of the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to David Gill, the Consul General of Germany in New York
State.