WHEREAS, Luis Fernando Esteban has distinguished himself during the past twenty-five years as the Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Spain in the state of Washington; and

WHEREAS, This silver anniversary represents a long and distinguished record of important bilateral, educational, cultural, historical, and economic development programs and projects that have positively affected business development and the lives of Washingtonians and the people of Spain; and

WHEREAS, Over 250,000 students have directly benefited from the Spanish and bilingual language development, student and faculty exchanges, and cultural projects and programs with Spain's leading institutions; and

WHEREAS, Consul Luis Fernando Esteban has created an impressive legacy of cultural, art, and educational development that includes the implementation of the world famous Cervantes Institute at the University of Washington, the University of Washington Center for Spanish Studies, the University of Washington Leon Center, the Central Washington University Game On! STEM program for migrant farmworker students, a viticulture exchange program with Washington State University, the Embassy of Spain's student ambassador program, the Picasso and Miro Masters art exhibitions at Seattle and Tacoma Art Museums, the construction of the historic Fort Nunez Gaona monument on the Makah Reservation, the Seattle Sephardic Network, an annual Casa Patas Flamenco state tour, and over 1,200 professional Spanish music and film events; and

WHEREAS, Consul Luis Fernando Esteban has also created a sustainable diplomatic bridge by conducting thirty-two separate legislative, educational, and business trade missions to Spain, including most recently a 2018 mission led by Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib that included a bipartisan delegation of senators; and

WHEREAS, In his twenty-five years of service, Consul Luis Fernando Esteban has facilitated significant Spanish business investment in Washington state, forging relationships between major Spanish companies and investors and over 45 companies in every corner of Washington; and

WHEREAS, Consul Luis Fernando Esteban has presided over the knighting of distinguished Washingtonians including the Honorable Brad Owen, the Honorable Ralph Munro, Bill Gates Sr., Mimi Gates, Mike Bezos, Orlando Ayala, and Dr. Antonio Sanchez by His Majesty the King of Spain; and

WHEREAS, Consul Luis Fernando Esteban and his consular office have identified the historical and cultural roots of Spain, which have been firmly established here since 1774, representing our state's oldest European contact with Washington state;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize Honorary Consul Luis Fernando Esteban for twenty-five years of faithful service to the people of Washington and the Kingdom of Spain and celebrate his commitment to forging stronger bonds of friendship between our people, governments, businesses, and institutions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Honorary Consul Luis Fernando Esteban, His Excellency Ambassador Ramón Gil-Casares Satrústegui of the Kingdom of Spain, and His Excellency Josep Borrell, the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Spain.