WHEREAS, Lew Parker has led an extraordinary life of service, leadership, innovation, and economic generation in Loudoun County; and

WHEREAS, 40 years ago, Lew Parker brought wine to Loudoun County, establishing "DC's Wine Country" and sparking decades of economic activity and tourism; and

WHEREAS, Lew Parker planted grapes in 1981, founded Willowcraft Farm Vineyards in 1983, and bottled his first wine in 1984; and

WHEREAS, thanks to Lew Parker's dream, today, Loudoun County boasts one of the largest collections of wineries and vineyards in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Lew Parker has instructed others in winemaking, as well as helped other wineries gain their footing in Loudoun County over the past 40 years; and

WHEREAS, Lew Parker has frequently been honored for his winemaking and local pioneering of the industry, being named 2002 Virginia Wine Person of the Year and Loudoun County's 2023 Winemaker of the Year and winning the 2013 Gordon Murchie Lifetime Achievement Award; and

WHEREAS, Lew Parker not only battled the seasons to grow the wine industry in the Commonwealth but also the regulatory burdens, shepherding Virginia wine through many policy challenges and obstacles; and

WHEREAS, in addition to founding Loudoun County's wine industry, Lew Parker has made significant contributions in the medical device industry and is credited with having improved the lives of millions of individuals suffering from debilitating orthopedic conditions; and

WHEREAS, Lew Parker has bolstered the Loudoun County economy with more than just wine, as his medical device company, K2M, is a leading technology industry employer locally; and

WHEREAS, Lew Parker's steadfast commitment to philanthropy also goes further than wine, as his Willowcroft Science Foundation supports science-based scholarships through the Community Foundation and the Loudoun Education Foundation; and

WHEREAS, Lew Parker, through his work, leadership, and philanthropy, has inspired, and still inspires, generations to succeed and innovate in both business and science; and

WHEREAS, without Lew Parker, Loudoun County would not be the place it is today; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Lew Parker hereby be commended on a lifetime of positive impacts on Loudoun County and the Commonwealth; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Lew Parker as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for his legacy of industry, ingenuity, service, and philanthropy.