WHEREAS, Martin Townes has been a part of the Commonwealth's great history as the butler at the 200-year-old Virginia Executive Mansion, the oldest continuously occupied Governor's home in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Martin "Tutti" Townes comes from a family with a rich tradition of service to the Virginia Executive Mansion—his mother, Doris Townes Fleming; stepfather, William Fleming; cousin, Janet Coleman; brothers, Theodore Townes and Marvin Townes; and wife, Stephanie, have all served the First Families of Virginia in different capacities; and

WHEREAS, Tutti Townes has served Governors Gerald L. Baliles, L. Douglas Wilder, George F. Allen, James S. Gilmore III, Mark R. Warner, Timothy M. Kaine, and Robert F. McDonnell, and their families as a full-time butler with the utmost professionalism and courtesy; and

WHEREAS, a vital member of the Virginia Executive Mansion staff, Tutti Townes has a wealth of knowledge about the historic building, which, during his tenure, has had its 175th and 200th anniversaries; and

WHEREAS, as butler at the Virginia Executive Mansion, Tutti Townes has a wide array of duties that include serving meals, supervising part-time wait staff, greeting guests at the door, maintaining equipment, taking care of the Governor's wardrobe, cooking when the chef is on vacation, and caring for numerous children and pets; and

WHEREAS, Tutti Townes has served or met such celebrities at the Virginia Executive Mansion as Garth Brooks, Arthur Ashe, Rosa Parks, the Honorable Margaret Thatcher, Steven Spielberg, Jack Lemmon, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Cosby, Willard Scott, Bruce Willis, Tom Hanks, Sir Anthony Hopkins, and the one who left him most star-struck, James Garner; and

WHEREAS, the First Families of Virginia have relied upon Tutti Townes' vast knowledge, calm demeanor, and professional service during their residence in one of the most well-known historic homes in the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Martin Townes for his distinguished service as butler on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Virginia Executive Mansion; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Martin Townes as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his invaluable service to the First Families of Virginia.