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2009 SESSION

095111720
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 1029
Offered February 23, 2009
Commending Gerry Connolly.
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Patrons-- Scott, J.M., Albo, Amundson, Bulova, Caputo, Herring, Hull, Marsden, Plum and Watts; Senators: Barker, Herring, Howell, Petersen, Puller, Saslaw, Ticer and Whipple
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 WHEREAS, on November 4, 2008, Gerry Connolly was elected to the United States House of Representatives from the 11th District of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, Gerry Connolly, the former chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors from 2003 to 2008, is recognized for his outstanding leadership and longtime service to his fellow citizens and his community; and

WHEREAS, Gerry Connolly received a bachelor’s degree from Maryknoll College in Glen Ellyn, Illinois; a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University in 1979; and served for 10 years with the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, Gerry Connolly was first elected to public office in 1995, serving as the Providence District Supervisor to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; and

WHEREAS, a proven leader with considerable experience, Gerry Connolly was elected as chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and served from 2003 to 2008; and

WHEREAS, as chairman, Gerry Connolly introduced a major initiative, which has preserved more than 2,000 housing units serving people with limited income and with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Gerry Connolly also initiated many innovative programs and policies to end homelessness in Fairfax County, to increase open space and tree preservation, to establish a Cool County Initiative, to reduce gang violence, to re-plan Tysons Corner, and to establish after-school programs in middle schools, while maintaining the County’s AAA Bond rating on Wall Street; and

WHEREAS, during his tenure as chairman, Fairfax County was recognized as the best managed jurisdiction of its size in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Gerry Connolly has served in numerous leadership positions on the local, regional, and state levels, including as board chairman of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments; as board president of the Virginia Association of Counties; as a board member for the Executive Committee of the Foundation for Virginia; and as chairman of the region's Emergency Preparedness Taskforce; and

WHEREAS, Gerry Connolly also generously gives his time and expertise to many civic organizations, including as a board member of Fairfax Partnership for Youth, the American Red Cross of the National Capital Area, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Washington Initiative Board of Trustees, the Medical Care for Children Partnership, the Institute for Regional Excellence, the University of Virginia’s Virginia Institute of Government, and the Providence Players; and

WHEREAS, Gerry Connolly has received numerous awards and accolades over the years for his leadership and outstanding contributions to his community, such as the Scull Award by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in 2000; the Outstanding Local Elected Official of the Year award by the Virginia Transit Association in 2005;  the Outstanding Local Official in the United States by the American Public Transit Association in 2006; and the Man of the Year award by the Boys and Girls Clubs in 2006; and

WHEREAS, a dedicated community leader, Gerry Connolly served as president of the Mantua Citizens Association and the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations; and

WHEREAS, in November 2008, Gerry Connolly was elected to represent the 11th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives; and he will continue to serve his fellow citizens in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and part of eastern Prince William County with great skill; and

WHEREAS, Gerry Connolly and his wife Cathy live in Mantua, have been residents of Fairfax County since 1979, and have a daughter, Caitlin Rose; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend and congratulate Gerry Connolly for his outstanding leadership and longtime service to his fellow citizens and his community of Fairfax County; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, congratulate Gerry Connolly upon his election to the Congress of the United States, and his appointment to the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, and the Committee on the Federal Budget; and, be it

RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Gerry Connolly as an expression of the General Assembly’s appreciation of his many achievements and best wishes for his continued success in the future.