Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority on the ground breaking for the new Jean R. Packard Occoquan Center. Work on this multi-purpose facility will kick-off of a major rejuvenation effort throughout Occoquan Regional Park, which sits in Fairfax County just across the Occoquan River from the Town of Occoquan in Prince William County.

The 400 acre park is popular with families, boaters, and fisherman with its easy access to the river, athletic fields, picnic areas, and connections to multiple regional trails, including the Gerald E. Connolly Cross County Trail and the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. The modernization of this regional park will feature a new entrance with greater roadside visibility, a loop trail traversing the entire park, a landscaped waterfront plaza, and other infrastructure improvements.

A new focal point of the park will be the Jean R. Packard Center, named in honor of my good friend and mentor. Jean recently retired from the Regional Park Board after 24 years of dedicated service. It is difficult to overstate the tremendous environmental legacy Jean has cultivated here in Northern Virginia. A veteran of the Women's Army Corps during World War II, Jean moved to Fairfax in 1951 and got her start in public service much the same way I did as president of her neighborhood civic association. Thus began five decades of civic engagement, particularly focused on environmental stewardship and protection.

She was the first woman elected as chairman the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 1972 and was an unabashed environmentalist before it became trendy. During my 14 years on the County Board starting in 1995, Jean was a member of my trusted kitchen cabinet and helped shape our award-winning environmental agenda. After her tenure on the Board of Supervisors, Jean became the first woman elected to the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Directors. Though not continuous, she has served on the Board multiple times over the past 40 years, and she is in the midst of her most recent term at the age of 91!

She was a founding member of the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, which recently renamed its lifetime achievement award in Jean's honor, and she has served on the national board of the Sierra Club. She has been recognized as Fairfax County's Citizen of the Year and Fairfax County Conservationist of the Year. I was proud to present Jean with the Fairfax County Park Authority's Sally Ormsby Environmental Stewardship Award, which is named in memory of our dear friend and fellow community leader.

Fittingly, the new center that will bear Jean's name will include a robust educational component on our local history and the environment. It will tie in with the nearby Suffragist memorial within the park, and it will feature an interpretive collection showcasing the native flora and fauna of Northern Virginia at the time of John Smith's historic expedition in 1608. From its perch overlooking the river, the Jean R. Packard Center will put on full display the beauty of our local parks and demonstrate the value of protecting environmental treasures like the Occoquan for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority for undertaking this grand park renewal and for its stewardship of its many other properties throughout the region, and I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the immeasurable contributions of Jean Packard a true environmental champion, who has dedicated her life to protecting and improving the natural resources that make our community such a wonderful place to live, work, and play.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and congratulate my constituent, Mr. Sonny Hashmi of Oakton, Virginia for being selected as a 2014 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal finalist in the management excellence category.

The nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service presents the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals annually to pay tribute to America's dedicated civil servants. These prestigious medals honor and celebrate an esteemed group of Federal employees that have achieved significant accomplishments in the course of serving their country. Honorees are public servants who represent a broad and diverse array of disciplines and career fields. All nominees exemplify the ideal Federal employee with respect to their strong commitment to mission, and the creativity and spirit of innovation each brings to his or her respective agency.

Mr. Hashmi serves as the Chief Information Officer for the United States General Services Administration, or GSA. In this role, Mr. Hashmi is responsible for managing GSA's $600 million information technology budget and ensuring that GSA's IT initiatives effectively align with the agency's strategic goals and government-wide leadership responsibilities in key areas, such as information security and enterprise architecture efforts.

According to the Partnership for Public Service, Mr. Hashmi was instrumental in launching GSA's groundbreaking ``Drive to the Cloud'' initiative. This program enabled GSA to lead by example in becoming the first agency to transition its email services to a cloud-based platform, along with its collaboration and documents management tools. It is projected that these two migrations from legacy systems to cloud- based platforms will result in $15 million in savings for the agency by 2016.

Under Mr. Hashmi's visionary leadership, GSA has also worked to ensure its lesson learned and best practices permeate across the Federal Government, and it is a testament to Mr. Hashmi's success that each year, additional agencies follow GSA's blueprint and guidance in moving to embrace shared services and innovative cloud-based solutions.

Mr. Hashmi represents precisely the type of Federal Chief Information Officer our government desperately needs more of. I fully concur with GSA Administrator Daniel Tangherlini's recent observation that, ``Sonny not only fixes problems, but also provides newer and better solutions. He is a leader in the best sense. He is all about the outcome and builds a team that shares that desire.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our highest praise and congratulations to Mr. Sonny Hashmi for being selected as a finalist for the 2014 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Management Excellence Medal. Mr. Hashmi and his fellow nominees all boast impressive accomplishments, from working to eradicate polio in India to landing an exploratory vehicle on Mars to saving the Air Force more than $1 billion in 2012 by reducing energy consumption. It has been my great privilege and honor to represent Mr. Hashmi and the tens of thousands of exceptional Federal workers who hail from Virginia's 11th Congressional District. Each one deserves our gratitude and respect.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and congratulate my constituent, Dr. Scott Gerald Borg of Fairfax Virginia, for being selected as a 2014 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal finalist in the career achievement category.

The nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service presents the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals annually to pay tribute to America's dedicated civil servants. These prestigious medals honor and celebrate an esteemed group of Federal employees that have achieved significant accomplishments in the course of serving their country. Honorees are public servants who represent a broad and diverse array of disciplines and career fields. All nominees exemplify the ideal Federal employee with respect to their strong commitment to mission, and the creativity and spirit of innovation each brings to his or her respective agency.

Dr. Borg serves as the Head of the Section for Antarctic Sciences within the National Science Foundation's Division of Polar Programs. According to the Partnership for Public Service, under Dr. Borg's direction, the National Science Foundation's Antarctic research program has become one of the most esteemed and comprehensive on the continent. Today, Dr. Borg plays a critical role in guiding the U.S. Antarctic science program that supports cutting-edge research across a range of topics, including climate change, the origins and nature of the universe, and the discovery of new species of extinct dinosaurs.

The work being facilitated by Dr. Borg and his colleagues is truly groundbreaking research. For example, Dr. Borg's leadership is credited with overcoming numerous technical and logistical challenges that enabled the National Science Foundation to complete the West Antarctic Ice Sheet drilling project, which extracted ice core that dates back 68,000 years and represents the highest-resolution record of climate obtained to date. Further, Dr. Borg also oversaw the development of clean drilling technology that retrieved the first-ever pure water samples from an Antarctic lake a half mile below the surface of ice sheet. These samples are estimated to have been sealed under the ice for approximately 15 million years, and may enable researchers to understand what types of life can survive on other worlds.

Being named a finalist by the Partnership for Public Service is just the latest honor in Dr. Borg's outstanding and celebrated career that has made tremendous contributions to the global research community and elevated the prestige of Federal scientific research over the past two decades.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our highest praise and congratulations to Dr. Scott Gerald Borg for being selected as a finalist for the 2014 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Career Achievement Medal. Dr. Borg and his fellow nominees all boast impressive accomplishments, from working to eradicate polio in India to landing an exploratory vehicle on Mars to saving the Air Force more than $1 billion in 2012 by reducing energy consumption. It has been my great privilege and honor to represent Dr. Borg and the tens of thousands of exceptional Federal workers who hail from Virginia's 11th Congressional District. They all deserve our thanks and respect.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and congratulate my constituent, Ms. Alice Lippert of Fairfax, Virginia, on being selected as a 2014 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal finalist in the homeland security and law enforcement category.

The nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service presents the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals annually to pay tribute to America's dedicated civil servants. These prestigious medals honor and celebrate an esteemed group of Federal employees that have achieved significant accomplishments in the course of serving their country. Honorees are public servants who represent a broad and diverse array of disciplines and career fields. All nominees exemplify the ideal Federal employee with respect to their strong commitment to mission, and the creativity and spirit of innovation each brings to his or her respective agency.

Ms. Lippert is one of three United States Department of Energy officials who are being recognized for their significant contributions to the development of the groundbreaking data visual platform, known as EAGLE-I. EAGLE-I is our Nation's first-ever system that can gather and share real-time emergency situation information on power and natural gas infrastructure. As one disaster program manager at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers noted, before EAGLE-I, ``It was difficult to get a clear picture of what was going on. Now we rely on the DOE as the authoritative source.''

According to the Partnership for Public Service, Ms. Lippert, a senior technical advisor in the Department of Energy's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, was instrumental in recognizing that our country's inability to collect and access real- time data on energy infrastructure during an emergency represented a critical vulnerability that hampered the Federal Government's ability to effectively coordinate the response to major natural disasters, such as the destructive Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Ms. Lippert was not satisfied with the status quo emergency response system, which was antiquated and cumbersome in requiring Department personnel to directly contact energy companies to obtain data that would have to be manually entered into a data base. This process could take hours and did not provide Federal, State, and local first- responders with the real-time data they needed to gain situational awareness of a locality's battered power and natural gas infrastructure.

Ms. Lippert took the initiative by contacting two colleagues with subject matter expertise in advanced grid modeling and computer programming. Together, these civil servants worked in-house to build EAGLE-I, which now covers 75 percent of all U.S. electricity customers. However, it was not until October 2012 that EAGLE-I was put to the test, and the true value of Ms. Lippert's leadership and hard work was realized.

In the aftermath of the damaging Hurricane Sandy, our Nation's first-responders and emergency managers had access to regular updates on the grid status in the hard hit areas, enabling decisions to be guided by accurate and up-to-date data and information. As the Department's Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability noted, ``These reports were critical to decisions by federal, state and local officials in responding to and recovering from the catastrophe. The power outage reports gave insight to senior DOE leadership and responders that allowed them to make informed decisions, reducing

both the human and economic impacts associated with the storm.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our highest praise and congratulations to Ms. Alice Lippert on being selected as a finalist for the 2014 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Homeland Security and Law Enforcement Medal. It has been my great privilege and honor to represent Ms. Lippert and the tens of thousands of exceptional Federal workers who hail from Virginia's 11th Congressional District. They all deserve our deep gratitude and respect.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 25th Anniversary of the Good Shepherd Housing Foundation. For the past quarter century, the Foundation has provided low-cost housing to the homeless and those on the brink of homelessness in Prince William County.

Good Shepherd Housing Foundation was established in 1989 when the need for housing for the mentally ill became apparent. The first group home, ``Shepherd House I,'' opened in 1989 with a $1,500 donation from co-founders, Horace and Virginia Baker. As the parents of an adult child with mental health issues, the Bakers knew firsthand the challenges in finding safe housing options that would allow their son to live as independently as possible while receiving the care he needed. Mr. and Mrs. Baker, along with Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, worked closely with the Prince William County Community Services Board to establish the bedrock of a stable and lasting program. In its beginning, the Foundation provided housing for five single adults.

Since its inception, Good Shepherd Housing Foundation has grown substantially in both clientele and breadth of mission. Now in 25th year, the Foundation provides housing and supportive services for 77 single adults and 45 families in 70 households throughout Prince William. Assistance is extended to those with chronic low income and mental or physical disabilities. The organization is sustained by the efforts and donations of individuals, businesses, and churches, and it receives assistance from local, state, and federal funding.

The Shepherd Homes Program offers group living and single adult housing options to mentally-ill individuals. Shepherd Homes I, II, and III are properties owned by the Foundation that function as group homes. The Foundation also provides eight apartments, one townhouse, and one affordable rental house maintained by the Foundation offering the mentally ill, some of whom are veterans, relief from chronic homelessness. Beyond housing assistance, the Foundation offers services that put residents on a path to financial and psychological stability.

Over the years, the Foundation has expanded its mission providing a broader scope of resources to the community to aid in providing housing to individuals and families who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless. The Foundation offers a holistic program approach aimed not only at providing housing but also teaching program participants the importance of education and financial management. Programs and services include the Affordable Rentals Program, Shepherd Homes, Shepherd Leasing, and a two-year Transitional Housing Partnership. Tutoring and child-care services are also available for the children.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring the work of Good Shepherd Housing Foundation in Prince William and in congratulating it on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. The Foundation exists thanks to the dedication and generosity of its board, staff, volunteers, and many community supporters, and it is another example of what makes Prince William such a wonderful place to live.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Stroke Comeback Center on the occasion of its 10th anniversary and the critical health care services that it provides to stroke survivors and their families in our community.

The SCC is a non-profit founded by Darlene Williamson and John Phillips in 2004 to create a community in which stroke survivors and their families could receive proper long-term treatment. Meaningful care for stroke survivors is limited in the United States, and the SCC is one of less than ten such facilities. The mission of the SCC has been to pick up where traditional health care coverage misguidedly leaves off by providing affordable speech and language services to stroke survivors in a supportive and participating environment. No patient is ever turned away because they can't afford the cost.

The current situation of stroke coverage and care is in desperate need of reform. It is common misconception that recovery is quick and easy when in reality stroke survivors require comprehensive rehabilitation for a protracted period of time to fully regenerate their cognitive and physical abilities. Yes insurance coverage for such care, if provided at all, runs out within 3-12 months, and the Medicare therapy cap for speech and physical therapy falls well short of covering the true costs. There is an estimated direct and indirect cost of about $73.7 billion. However, it is impossible to measure the emotional, physical, and financial burden a stroke puts on a survivor and their family.

Today, the SCC operates with about 100 individuals served in 40 groups weekly, growing from just five groups in 2005. More than a dozen committed volunteers contribute more than 3,000 hours annually. The SCC works closely with national, state, and local stroke-related organizations and receives referrals from all of the major hospital centers in the metropolitan area. Ninety-three percent of survivors report improvement in one or more areas of speaking, listening, writing or reading. On average, survivors report that they are now three times more confident in their social interactions allowing them to reestablish their role in their family and the community. The success of the SCC is due in part to their undiminished and comprehensive programs. Its life participation, group-based approach helps patients achieve their maximum potential.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the contributions and achievements of the Stroke Comeback Center and its dedicated staff and volunteers over the past 10 years. The services and programs offered by the SCC fill a void in the rehabilitation process and significantly improve the quality of lives of stroke survivors and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 23rd Anniversary of Literacy Volunteers of America--Prince William.

Founded in 1991 by local librarian Dona Swanson to help teach a library patron to read, Literacy Volunteers of America--Prince William has maintained its direct service approach, by providing individualized adult literacy tutoring based on the personal needs and goals of adult learners. LVA-PW understands that literacy is a critical skill which can open the doors to educational and employment opportunities. As a literature major in college, I cannot agree more.

LVA-PW's programs are well-researched and constantly tracked and evaluated by staff to ensure their effectiveness. This has proven to be a highly successful model: in 2014, LVA-PW served 667 adult learners who received a total of 14,000 hours of instruction from 212 trained volunteer tutors. Many of these participants learned to read and write thereby enabling them to become full participants in our communities and, in many cases, to earn their GEDs and achieve employment.

Literacy Volunteers of America--Prince William has established itself as an institution in the community, fostering local partnerships to strengthen both their own services and those of other community groups, including the Prince William County Library System, the Virginia Employment Center, Northern Virginia Community College, the Prince William County Adult Education Program, and local businesses through workplace literacy programs. LVA-PW has been recognized as Community Service Organization of the Year by the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce, Volunteer Organization of the Quarter by Prince William County, and Friday's Hero by the local Channel 9 News. Literacy Volunteers of America--Prince William is a model to be emulated.

Each year the Literacy Volunteers of America--Prince William recognizes individuals for their commitment as students, tutors, or volunteers. I am pleased to enter the following names of the 2014 honorees into the Congressional Record:

Students of the Year--Rut Amdemskal and Iftikhar Haq

Tutors of the Year--Davine Irving and Linda Mazzucchi

Volunteer of the Year--Ernestine Jenkins

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating Literacy Volunteers of America--Prince William on the occasion of its 23rd Anniversary and in thanking the volunteers, sponsors, staff, and community partners for their efforts in support of this worthwhile organization. I also commend Vicki Gross for her many contributions to LVA-PW while serving as Executive Director.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the tremendous performance and accomplishments of local players in the Dumfries- Triangle-Quantico (DTQ) Little League. During this past summer, the Junior, Senior, and Big League All-Star Teams won both the District 9 and Virginia State championships.

The Big League All-Stars have won the District 9 title for three years running, and this marked their third overall state title. The Senior All-Stars have won the District 9 title seven years-in-a-row and the state title four years-in-a-row. The Seniors went on to win the Southeast Regional Championship, securing a spot in the Senior League World Series. They advanced to the semifinal game, where they came up just short in a 3-2 loss to Latin America. The Junior All-Stars have now won four consecutive District 9 titles and their second state title during that period. The Juniors, many of whom have been playing together since they were 10 years old, advanced to the Southeast Regional semifinal game, where they were narrowly edged out in a 9-8 loss to Florida.

My office is proud to support little leagues throughout the community. The friendships

and experiences these athletes gain from participating in little league--learning the value of playing fair, working hard, making friends, showing good sportsmanship, and most of all, having fun--will benefit them throughout their lives. In addition to commending the players and coaches, I also want to recognize the efforts of Mel Barlow, who has been the DTQ Little League president for the past 13 years. It is thanks to the commitment of parents and volunteers like Mel that little leagues across our community and the country continue to thrive.

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the players, coaches, and their families on these wonderful achievements. It is my pleasure to submit the names of the players and coaches of the Junior, Senior, and Big League All-Star Teams from the DTQ Little League into the Congressional Record.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend and congratulate my friends and colleagues at the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) on the occasion of the Commission's 50th anniversary. When it was first created, the Commission's primary task was to develop and manage a transportation system for Northern Virginia, but over the years, it has evolved and accomplished so much more than that.

NVTC has become a champion for commuters across the region, an advocate for sustainable transit funding, and a leading voice on transportation policy throughout the Commonwealth. One shudders to think what Northern Virginia might look like if not for the persistent efforts of the Commission to bring local, state, and federal leaders together to promote transit solutions that have made commuting more convenient and removed cars from our roads. Just as important, NVTC has become a training ground for staff and elected leaders, helping to inform policy makers and the public about the value of and urgent need for investing in transit choices. For example, the ranks of the Commission's past chairmen include our colleague, Representative Jim Moran, who served on NVTC during his tenure as the Mayor of Alexandria, my predecessor, Tom Davis, who served as chair during his tenure on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and, yes, me. I was pleased to serve on the Commission throughout my tenure on the Fairfax Board of Supervisors.

Let me take just a few moments to recount some of the major milestones that have shaped the success of the NVTC and the growth of our region. Two major actions in 1964 laid the groundwork for NVTC to flourish. First, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson passed the Urban Mass Transit Act, which pumped $375 million over three years into public transit projects across the nation. The Virginia General Assembly followed by creating the Northern Virginia Transportation District to plan and construct a transportation network that promoted safety, convenience, and economic growth.

The Commission did not waste time, starting work on a rapid transit system that first year.

Two years later, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (or Metro) compact, a partnership among the regional jurisdictions, was created, and planning began for bus and future rail routes. Momentum increased during the 1970s. NVTC received a federal grant to build the nation's first transit way, the Shirley Highway Bus Project. Metro broke ground with Blue, Orange and Yellow Line service to Virginia starting in the late '70s. NVTC launched a new program known then as Computeride, which later became Commuter Connections, to help commuters plan their trips to work and establish carpools.

NVTC secured a major victory in the early 1980s when it worked with the Virginia General Assembly to pass a 2 percent regional gas tax to support Metro bus and rail service. Planning also began for a new commuter rail service extending to Prince William and Stafford counties. Transit service continued to expand during the 1990s with the new Virginia Railway Express (VRE). In 1996, NVTC was awarded the American Public Transportation Association's Outstanding Government Agency Award. During the past decade, NVTC has been actively planning the next generation transportation network to meet the challenges of Northern Virginia's growth and working with elected leaders at all levels to provide the dedicated funding that will be necessary to deliver those improvements.

It is fitting that NVTC marks its 50th anniversary with one of the largest expansions of the Metro system with the opening of the new Silver Line with service to Tysons and Reston earlier this year. There are now 156 million transit trips in Northern Virginia. Metro, with 91 stations across the region, including 25 in Virginia with six more under construction with phase 2 of the Silver Line, serves more than 750,000 rider trips a day. Metro bus now has 335 routes and 15,000 bus stops throughout the region. VRE, which now operates 30 trains from 18 stations, carries 20,000 passengers daily. Of course, all of that is supplemented by the cities and counties with their own transit services. Demonstrating the tremendous reach and success of NVTC's collective efforts, transit and ridesharing now carry nearly 50 percent of the region's peak travelers.

Mr. Speaker, the success of NVTC has fueled the success of not only Northern Virginia, but also the National Capital Region. The tradition of collaboration and shared investment that has characterized NVTC will serve our communities for generations to come. NVTC's collaborative success gives witness to the fact that our politics can work to serve our constituents. I was proud to be a part of it for 14 years, and I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the staff and leadership, both past and present, of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission for their commitment to providing a world-class transportation system and improving the quality of life for those who live and work in the National Capital Region.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the recipients of the 2014 Best of Braddock Awards, presented by the Braddock District Council of Community Associations. These awards are given annually to deserving individuals, organizations, and companies in the Braddock Magisterial District of Fairfax County, Virginia, who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the community.

The goal of the Braddock District Council is to promote the civic, community, and general welfare of the citizens of the Braddock District. The Council represents the interests of community associations, facilitates cooperation and coordination between associations, and provides a path of communications between associations and officials or elected representatives of the Braddock District.

I am pleased to join the Braddock District Council of Community Associations in recognizing the following Recipients of the 2014 Best of Braddock Awards:

Citizen of the Year--Norma Heck, founding member and immediate past president of the North Springfield Civic Association, for nearly 40 years of extensive involvement in the community. Norma is well known for her dedicated service and although she has reached an age at which most people decide to slow down a bit, she plans to become even more active on the NSCA board and in Braddock District Council programs.

Young Person of the Year--Elizabeth Banks, who is a student at Robinson Secondary School, for her many efforts on behalf of others including working with children, volunteering for Second Chance Employment

Services, which assists victims of domestic violence, assisting in the renovation of an orphanage in the Dominican Republic, and organizing a Special Olympics basketball game at Robinson. As a volunteer at the medical neurology lab at Georgetown University, she participated in efforts to create a protein that could be used by others to test its role in Parkinson's disease. She will no doubt continue to remain involved and engaged in her community at the University of Virginia next year.

Most ``Can-Do'' Public Employee--Julie Tahan, Lake Accotink Park Supervisor, for her management that has allowed Lake Accotink to be one of the most outstanding parks in Fairfax County, and for her outstanding leadership capabilities demonstrated through her coordination of the efforts to recover from tropical storms and organization of the annual Cardboard Boat Regatta.

Neighborhood Enhancement or Beautification by a Homeowner--Paula and David McKinley, for their beautiful and extensive rose garden that has included more than 75 varieties of roses. Their spectacular garden has enhanced the aesthetics of the neighborhood since the early 1990s.

Neighborhood Enhancement or Beautification by a Community--Greg Sykes of Kings Park West for his commitment to the environment through teaching volunteers about the impacts of non-native invasive species, replanting native vegetation, giving nature walks around Royals Lake, and contributing to the Kings Park West Herald, other publications, and his website.

Organizations Making a Difference in the Community--The David R. Pinn Center for creating a welcoming environment and dynamic programs for all members of the community, including senior citizens and students. Sarah Tinsley is receiving special recognition for her work with teens and the establishment of the ``Stand Up, Step Up, Speak Up (S3UP) program which focuses on leadership training, citizenship and job-readiness, and is the only community center based S3UP program in the county.

Special Recognition--Rohil Bhinge, student at Mosby Woods Elementary School, for leading efforts to complete a fully accessible playground in the Braddock District. Rohil organized fun runs in 2012, 2013, and 2014 to raise funds and community support for a regional facility where children of all abilities can play.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating these outstanding residents and organizations and also in thanking them for their service to our community. Their efforts and leadership have been a great benefit to the Braddock District and the rest of Northern Virginia and truly merit our highest praise.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Insight Memory Care Center (IMCC) of Fairfax, Virginia, on the occasion of its 30th Anniversary and to recognize the extraordinary work this non-profit organization has done to provide services to people with memory related impairments as well as education and support to their families.

Formerly known as Alzheimer's Family Day Center, IMCC was established in 1984 to benefit people who were not being served by existing community services--specifically people in the middle to late stages of dementia or those with behavior challenges. The organization recently changed its name to better reflect the variety of services offered since it does far more than serve as a center for people afflicted by Alzheimer's disease.

What began as an adult day health center with just three participants on its opening day will soon move to a new location where it can serve 50 people per day. Moreover, IMCC has become a comprehensive health and resource provider that offers a spectrum of holistic care, with a vision of a community where those affected by memory impairments can achieve the highest quality of life and their families and caregivers can receive counseling, education, and support.

IMCC's adult day health center provides a safe, engaging, and therapeutic environment for individuals with memory impairment. It is the only dementia-specific day center in the D.C. metro area and remains the only adult day health center in Northern Virginia with programs for people in the later stages of an Alzheimer's disease. IMCC's innovative education and support programs provide caregiver classes, community trainings, professional seminars, support groups, individual consultations, and home visits. These programs help family members remain confident and effective in their caregiving roles and increases awareness and understanding of the disease in the community.

These efforts have garnered well-deserved recognition. Among other accolades, IMCC has been named one of the ``Best Small Charities in the Washington Region'' by the Catalogue for Philanthropy three times and was honored to be recognized as Adult Day Center of the Year from the National Adult Day Services Association in 2013.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating IMCC for 30 years of success and in thanking its staff, volunteers, and supporters for their service to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 2014 Honorees of the Fairfax County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The Fairfax Branch is recognized as the NAACP's first rural chapter. In 1915, a few brave African American citizens in Falls Church, Virginia, fought a proposed ordinance that would have segregated housing. They called themselves the Colored Citizens Protective League (CCPL) and the group evolved to become the Fairfax County Branch of the NAACP.

Each year, the Fairfax County NAACP honors several deserving individuals and organizations that have shown extraordinary support of the Branch or the community. I am honored to submit the names of the following 2014 Community Service Award winners:

Fairfax County Democratic Committee Election Law and Voter Protection Committee. The Election Law and Voter Protection (ELVP) Committee strives to make sure every vote is counted and that proposed legislation and procedures affecting voting rights are fair and appropriate. Every election, ELVP members monitor voting precincts and help make sure each citizen can fully and fairly exercise his or her right to vote, regardless of political preferences.

Jill Turner--Program Manager, Intel Computer Clubhouse, Gum Springs Community Center. Ms. Turner works to change the mindset of young people who come from economically disadvantaged families. She teaches creative writing, computer skills, etiquette, poetry writing, and has formed a book club. Through her leadership, some teens have become leaders and have formed additional clubs, specializing in their own interests. Ms. Turner recently established a mentoring program. Participants discuss issues such as domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, homelessness, drugs, and other issues facing our youth.

Danielle Blunt--Girls Inspired and Ready to Lead, Inc. (GIRL). Founded by Ms. Blunt in 2010, GIRL is a nonprofit organization dedicated to mentoring and empowering today's girls for future success through academic excellence, leadership skills, community service, a healthy lifestyle, and self-esteem. In 2014, Ms. Blunt partnered with George Mason University's College of Science STEM Accelerator Program to create a STEM summer camp for middle school girls of color and one for elementary school boys and girls. It also gives me great pleasure to recognize the following recipients of this year's President's Awards: Supervisor John Cook, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (Braddock District); Captain Everett A. Lewis, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), Executive Committee, Alexandria NAACP; Colonel Ed Roessler, Chief, Fairfax County Police Department.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the 2014 honorees of the Fairfax County NAACP and thanking them for their tremendous contributions to our youth and our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Shidogakuin Martial Arts Dojo on the occasion of its 30th anniversary and the Shidogakuin Washington Kendo Dojo (Washinkan) on its 20th Anniversary.

Kendo, meaning ``Way of the sword,'' is a Japanese martial art derived from 16th Century traditional swordsmanship, using bamboo swords and protective armor for training. This sport is widely practiced throughout Japan, the United States, and many other nations around the world. Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines martial arts practices and values with strenuous physical activity. It is great exercise, but it also is much more than a sport. The purpose of practicing Kendo is to mold the mind and body, to cultivate a vigorous spirit, and, through correct and rigid training, to strive for improvement in both technique and personal development.

In 1984, Mr. Shozo Kato established the Shidogakuin Kendo training school in New York City where both students and teachers were taught to learn and grow. In 1993 James Yan and Hiroaki Suzuki, with guidance from Shozo Kato, expanded Shidogakuin to the Washington, DC region by establishing a Kendo dojo at the National Institutes of Health to teach adults and children. The Shidogakuin Washington Kendo Dojo (Washinkan) is now based in Herndon, Virginia, in the 11th Congressional District.

The goal of the Washinkan Dojo is to provide teachers with necessary technical skills and teaching strategies; to implement the protocols to create an environment of professional courtesy, honor, and mutual respect; to provide the facilities necessary to learn and practice; to create a safe, friendly, family-oriented atmosphere; to inform the community that there is an opportunity to learn and practice the sword martial arts; to prepare students for practice, competition and advancement testing; and to prepare students for leadership in the dojo and the larger community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Shidogakuin Kendo Dojo and Shozo Kato on its 30th anniversary and the Washinkan Dojo and James Yan on its 20th anniversary and in thanking them for their service to the youth in our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize recipients of the 2014 Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce Awards for Chamber Excellence.

The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1982 as a business roundtable in the growing community of Reston, Virginia. For more than 30 years, the Reston Chamber has facilitated business growth and entrepreneurship through its programming, advocacy, and engagement throughout the region. The Reston Chamber currently has more than 600 member businesses that together employ more than 10,000 people. It is the 6th largest chamber of commerce in the Washington, DC-metropolitan region and is deeply embedded in the community.

The Reston Chamber hosts annual events such as Taste of Reston, Oktoberfest Reston, and Best of Reston, and it has received national recognition for its Ethics Day, a workshop for high school students on ethical decision making. Members use the INC.spire Education Foundation and free SCORE business coaching programs to help create and grow their enterprises. INC.spire has assisted more than four dozen entrepreneurs create 500 jobs and $45 million of business investment.

Each year, through the Awards for Chamber Excellence, the Chamber recognizes member companies, individuals, and volunteers who have demonstrated excellence, innovation, and exceptional dedication to the Reston community. I am pleased to join the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce in recognizing the following Awards for Chamber Excellence (ACE) recipients:

Committee of the Year: Charles Kapur, EagleBank, Membership Committee.

Committee of the Year: Sam Cousins, SBIS, Membership Committee.

Small Business of the Year: Silver Spoon Catering.

Medium Business of the Year: Business Engineering, Inc.

Large Business of the Year: Sheraton Reston Hotel.

Member of the Year: Lisa Nicholls, Tira! Strategies.

New Member of the Year: Ellen Moyer, Re/Max Allegiance.

Volunteer of the Year: Andy Klaff, Colliers.

Joe Ritchie Pinnacle Award: Casey Veatch, Veatch Commercial Real Estate.

President's Award: Tonia Chagnon, Red Thinking.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating this year's award recipients and in thanking them for their contributions to the local economy and outstanding service to our community. I also commend the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce for its role as an invaluable partner to local businesses, nonprofits and schools. The efforts of the Chamber, the member businesses, and volunteers have helped make Reston a truly special place to live, work, and raise a family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the distinguished career of my constituent, David Hale. After 50 years of service in the United States federal government, Mr. Hale is retiring as the Deputy Director of Public Works for the U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Belvoir.

His career started August 10, 1964 as a Clerk Typist, GS-2 for the Director of Facilities, Road, and Grounds Division. Mr. Hale served in the Army for a year and then returned to the Department of Defense where he worked as an Electrical Technician. Later in his career, Mr. Hale became the Deputy Director of Public Works.

Mr. Hale's work has had direct and significant positive impact on the quality of life at Fort Belvoir. Having been the Deputy Director for DPW, Fort Belvoir, for decades, he has shown himself to be a technically superior facilities engineer, outstanding leader and executive, and a tireless worker. Under his leadership and guidance, Fort Belvoir has done an exceptional job upgrading its master plan and implementing residential communities while emphasizing environmental stewardship and maintaining excellent community relations. Mr. Hale has played a central role in the development of the Fort Belvoir strategic plan and provision of outstanding customer support.

His efforts resulted in improved overall facilities and mission readiness and living and working conditions of soldiers, their families, and the civilian workforce at the fort. He has also distinguished himself as a caring individual willing to do everything to the best of his considerable abilities to take care of soldiers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. Hale on his retirement and in thanking him for his 50 years of distinguished service to the people of the United States of America and to the men and women who serve in uniform and their families.