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2002 SESSION

028711408
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 276
FLOOR AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by Senator Chichester
on March 5, 2002)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Senator Chichester)
Commending James R. "Dickie" Werner, Jr.

WHEREAS, James R. "Dickie" Werner, Jr., was born in Richmond and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School; and

WHEREAS, Dickie Werner began working for the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company (which became Bell Atlantic and is now Verizon) in 1951 as a mail carrier and in 1956 moved to the plant department, where he became a lineman installer and repairman until 1958; and

WHEREAS, Dickie Werner was moved to the marketing department in 1959 and was given the state government account, which he managed until 1982; and

WHEREAS, Dickie Werner was promoted to manager of government relations for Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company with the primary responsibilities of lobbying and liaison with the General Assembly and the Governor's Office; and

WHEREAS, Dickie Werner retired on December 31, 2000, after 49 years of service with the telephone company now known as Verizon; and

WHEREAS, during his time as manager of government relations, Dickie Werner worked with Governors Mills E. Godwin, John N. Dalton, Charles S. Robb, Gerald S. Baliles, L. Douglas Wilder, George Allen, and James S. Gilmore, providing invaluable information and honest advice; and

WHEREAS, Dickie Werner coordinated communications for the President's Summit on Education in Charlottesville in 1989; the North-South Governors' Summit in Richmond in 1984; and the Summit of Industrialized Nations in Williamsburg in 1983; and

WHEREAS, Dickie Werner served as communications coordinator for many conferences, including two Southern Legislative Conferences, in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, and two Southern Governors' Association meetings, in Williamsburg (1984) and Austin, Texas (1983); and

WHEREAS, Dickie Werner provided communications and served as liaison during visits to the Commonwealth by Presidents Bush, Ford, and Reagan; and

WHEREAS, Dickie Werner served as communications liaison for the commissioning of the USS George Washington in Norfolk and President Mitterand's visit for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown; and

WHEREAS, during his long tenure, Dickie Werner was an effective, responsible liaison between hundreds of members of the General Assembly and the telecommunications industry; and

WHEREAS, throughout his career, Dickie Werner was known for his honesty, knowledge, commitment to the legislative process, and respect to the traditions of the Legislature; and

WHEREAS, Dickie Werner also appreciated and often acknowledged the work and commitment of legislative staff; and

WHEREAS, Dickie Werner's love for the Commonwealth was evident in his commitment to honorable service and his many years of honest counsel to the members of the General Assembly; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby express its appreciation to James R. "Dickie" Werner, Jr., for his dedication to the integrity of the legislative process; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the General Assembly hereby express its best wishes to James R. "Dickie" Werner, Jr., on his retirement after 49 years of service to Verizon and the General Assembly; and, be it

RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to James R. "Dickie" Werner, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration, gratitude, and best wishes.