Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has singled out Tara Cannon, an assistant attorney general in the Child Support Division’s Longview office, for her commitment to Texas children. Cannon has been named Assistant Attorney General of the Year for her work in the Tyler region, which covers 44 counties. Cannon received the award Friday at the Statewide Assistant Attorneys General Conference in Houston.
“I commend Tara for her hard work and dedication to improving the lives of Texas children and families,” Attorney General Paxton said. “Tara represents the best, and it is attorneys like her that make this agency great. I am thankful to her for answering the call to serve the people of Texas.”
Cannon is a graduate of the University of Houston School of Law. She joined the Office of the Attorney General in 2014 and represents the State of Texas in paternity cases. Cannon also establishes, enforce and modifies court orders that require parents to provide child support and medical support.
One employee from each of the state’s nine child support regions, and the Austin office, are chosen for the Assistant Attorney General of the Year awards. Honorees are selected based on recommendations from their peers and supervisors, with a particular focus on employees who go beyond their expected job duties to serve Texas children and families. Cannon was chosen because of her dedication and value to the child support mission. After receiving a promotion and transfer to the Longview office in 2015, Cannon willingly and effectively covered vacancies in her former office, learning her new job while demonstrating her ability to process a high volume of casework with accuracy and speed.
The Attorney General’s Child Support Division is the most successful and cost-effective program in the nation. The division handles 1.5 million child support cases, serving 1.7 million children. The division collects $12.26 for every $1 spent to operate the program and collected $3.8 billion in child support in Federal FY 2015.
For more information about the Office of the Attorney General and the child support services it offers, visit the agency’s website at www.texasattorneygeneral.gov.