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2015 SESSION

15104943D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 867
Offered February 18, 2015
Commending the Honorable Donald P. McDonough.
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Patrons-- Surovell, Albo, Bulova, Filler-Corn, Hugo, Keam, Kory, Krupicka, LeMunyon, Lopez, Murphy, Plum, Rust, Sickles, Simon, Sullivan and Watts; Senators: Barker, Ebbin, Favola, Howell, Marsden, Petersen, Saslaw and Wexton
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WHEREAS, the Honorable Donald P. McDonough, a former chief judge of the Fairfax County General District Court of the 19th Judicial District of Virginia, retires as a judge in June 2015 after 27 years of service to the Fairfax County community; and

WHEREAS, a native of New York, Donald McDonough grew up in the Counties of Arlington and Fairfax; he graduated from Gonzaga College High School and the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, then earned a law degree from the Catholic University of America; and

WHEREAS, from 1967 to 1976, Donald McDonough worked as an international trade specialist and economist for the U.S. Department of Commerce; he served as the director of Legal Services of Northern Virginia from 1978 to 1988, building a comprehensive knowledge of the local court system; and

WHEREAS, Donald McDonough was appointed as a judge of the Fairfax County General District Court of the 19th Judicial District of Virginia in 1988 and has presided over the court with great fairness and wisdom; and

WHEREAS, Donald McDonough established the Driving on Suspended Program to help residents get their driver’s licenses reinstated, supported the Supervised Release Program, and helped the Court Services Division gain additional funding from the county; and

WHEREAS, Donald McDonough helped bring the court into the modern age by supporting the use of technology; he worked with the clerk to transition to a state computer system and helped develop a new scheduling system and calendar; and

WHEREAS, deeply respected among his peers, Donald McDonough was elected as chief judge of the court from 2004 to 2014; as chief judge, he worked diligently to improve the collegiality of the court; and

WHEREAS, Donald McDonough was also a presenter in the Fairfax Bar Association’s annual Pro Bono continuing legal education program and the Newly Admitted Attorneys Orientation; and

WHEREAS, a man of great integrity, Donald McDonough served Fairfax County and the Commonwealth with the utmost professionalism, dedication, and distinction; and

WHEREAS, after his well-earned retirement, Donald McDonough will continue to serve the community as a substitute judge, as well as spend more time with his wife, Cathy, and their four children and six grandchildren; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Honorable Donald P. McDonough on the occasion of his retirement as a judge of the Fairfax County General District Court; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Honorable Donald P. McDonough as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his service to Fairfax County and the Commonwealth.