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2012 SESSION

12100603D
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 1
Offered January 11, 2012
Prefiled November 21, 2011
Commending Dianne E. Pettitt.
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Patrons—Loupassi, Carr, Cox, M.K., Dance, Ingram, McQuinn, Robinson, and Ware, R.L.
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WHEREAS, Dianne E. Pettitt retired from the Chesterfield County School Board in 2011 after 18 years of dedicated service; and

WHEREAS, Dianne Pettitt came to the Chesterfield County School Board with a strong background in education, having earned a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York in French education and a master’s degree from Syracuse University in foreign language education; and

WHEREAS, Dianne Pettitt served on the staff of a New York state legislator before teaching French and Spanish for six years; after relocating to Chesterfield County, she tutored and served as a substitute teacher, adding certification to teach English as a second language to her teaching license; and

WHEREAS, desirous to gain more information about the community and enhance her leadership skills, Dianne Pettitt graduated from Leadership Metro Richmond and the FBI Citizens’ Academy; and

WHEREAS, Dianne Pettitt served on the Commonwealth’s first Comprehensive Services Board from 1994 to 1998 and was appointed to the Infrastructure in Virginia Working Group studying government waste and redundancy in 2008; and

WHEREAS, a representative of the Clover Hill District, Dianne Pettitt played a vital role in the development of one of the nation’s top school districts that includes 62 fully accredited schools, over 58,000 students, and an operating budget of over $500 million; and

WHEREAS, Dianne Pettitt served as both vice-chair and chair of the school board, providing thoughtful insight based on her own experiences into the needs of both students and teachers in order to ensure a positive and successful learning environment for all; and

WHEREAS, Dianne Pettitt represented Chesterfield County on the Regional Board of the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies, served on the county Budget and Audit Committee and Policy Committee, and functioned as the school board’s liaison to the Chesterfield Public Education Foundation; and

WHEREAS, Dianne Pettitt served as a valuable board member for the MathScience Innovation Center and Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium; and

WHEREAS, the Chesterfield County Public School system enjoys the widespread support of local businesses and community organizations while thousands of individuals volunteer in classrooms, creating a strong network focused on the County’s children and youth, a factor in Chesterfield County being named for the fourth time as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People by America’s Promise Alliance; and

WHEREAS, recognizing that school systems have a variety of students and needs, Dianne Pettitt worked diligently in conjunction with other board members and interested parties to support a rigorous curriculum that includes school readiness programs for four-year-olds at certain schools, an English for Speakers of Other Languages program, and day and night programs in addition to online courses; and

WHEREAS, the success of the Chesterfield County Public School board and system can be seen in the students themselves: 85 percent graduate on time, 90 percent of the 2010 class planned to attend a two- or four-year college, and the 2010 class earned $18.2 million in scholarships; and

WHEREAS, for nearly two decades, Dianne Pettitt unselfishly gave of her time and talents to ensure that the youth of Chesterfield County received a superior education in preparation for life in the 21st century; and

WHEREAS, after 18 years of devoted service, Dianne Pettitt looks forward to spending time with her husband, Neil, her two children, and eight grandchildren; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Dianne E. Pettitt hereby be commended for her exemplary service to the Chesterfield County School Board on the occasion of her retirement; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Dianne E. Pettitt as an expression of the House of Delegates’ admiration and appreciation for her commitment to the youth of Chesterfield County.