Bill Text: VA HJR999 | 2019 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-1)
Status: (Passed) 2019-02-21 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ999ER) [HJR999 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2019-HJR999-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., who served the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority for 35 years, retired from his position as president and chief executive officer in 2018; and
WHEREAS, Gerald "Jerry" L. Gordon, Ph.D., started at the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority in 1983 and became its head in 1987, overseeing the second-largest suburban office market in the country and the largest in the Commonwealth; during his tenure, office space in Fairfax County grew from 32 million square feet to more than 118 million, while the number of jobs in the county expanded from 243,000 to more than 600,000; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Gordon has led efforts to promote Fairfax County's status as a corporate headquarters and to bring a diverse array of businesses to the region, elevating the county's economic potential; in 2007, Time magazine called Fairfax County "one of the great economic success stories of our time"; and
WHEREAS, during his career, Jerry Gordon has taken his visionary leadership beyond Fairfax County, working for Arlington County and the United States Department of Labor; teaching for Catholic University, the University of Maryland, George Mason University, and Virginia Commonwealth University; consulting for state governments around the United States, national governments throughout the world, and various other government agencies, businesses, nonprofits, associations, and universities; and writing 13 books on strategic planning and economic development; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Gordon has received numerous accolades and awards during his extraordinary career, including the Jeffrey A. Finkle Organizational Leadership Award from the International Economic Development Council in 2015, the Northern Virginia Regional Leadership Award from Leadership Fairfax, Inc., in 2011, and the Israel Freedom Award from the Israel Bonds organization in 2003; in 2010, Virginia Business magazine named Jerry Gordon its "2010 Virginia Business Person of the Year" and has included him in its list of "50 Most Influential Virginians" every year since 2013; and
WHEREAS, beyond his professional career, Jerry Gordon has made remarkable contributions to the community as chair of the boards of the Fairfax Symphony, the Arts Council of Fairfax County, the Foundation for Fairfax County Public Schools, and the George Mason University Honors College; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., former president and chief executive officer of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, on the occasion of his retirement in 2018; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his sterling leadership and transformative influence upon the economy and community of Fairfax County and the Commonwealth.
