[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 64 (Thursday, May 1, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E836]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


      HONORING THE DEDICATED LIFE AND WORK OF MR. JAMES A. WILDING

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 1, 2003

  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. 
James A. Wilding, an outstanding citizen of Northern Virginia who has 
served his community and country for almost half a century.
  Mr. Wilding will retire from the Metropolitan Washington Airports 
Authority this month after 43 years of service. Revered as a leader in 
both the public and private sectors, Jim will leave behind a legacy of 
dedication and excellence beyond compare.
  Jim graduated from the Catholic University of America as a Civil 
Engineer in 1959. He then joined the Federal Aviation Administration, 
where his key role in the transformation of the Washington region 
began. Jim was one of the original planners of the Washington Dulles 
International Airport. En route to his position as Chief Engineer, Jim 
advanced through the ranks of the FAA, working in many different 
engineering capacities on both Washington Dulles International and 
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. By 1979, Jim had 
successfully mastered the positions of Chief Engineer, Deputy Director, 
and finally Director of the FAA's Metropolitan Washington Airports.
  Upon the 1987 transfer of the region's airports to the new 
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Jim began his tenure as 
that organization's President. He continued to implement his vision of 
a globally connected Washington area, easily accessible by world-class 
air facilities. Of course, this vision was far removed from reality; 
the region's current economic prosperity may obscure the collective 
memory of the wholly government-centered Metropolitan area of 50 years 
ago. Mr. Wilding's involvement in the region's air service played a 
large role in changing that. He oversaw a capital development program 
of more than 3 billion dollars at the two federally owned airports in 
the region and led the modernization of Reagan National Airport. Dulles 
also underwent major growth in the 1990's. Under Jim's leadership, 
passenger activity at the two airports has almost doubled to 31 million 
passengers in 2002.
  Widely acknowledged as an expert in the aviation industry, Jim has 
won numerous awards, including the highest award in the Transportation 
Department: the Secretary of Transportation's Gold Medal. He has served 
namely as Chairman of the Airports Council International--North 
America, as President of the Aero Club of Washington, and has served on 
the Board of Directors of the regional organization, and on the Board 
of its worldwide parent based in Geneva, Switzerland. Currently, he 
serves on the Policy Review Committee of the American Association of 
Airport Executives.
  The United Way Campaign of Arlington County, Virginia is only one of 
the many regional groups indebted to Jim for his support and active 
participation. Jim is a member of the Economic Development Commission 
of Arlington County and has served on the Board of Directors as well as 
the Executive Committee of the Arlington County Chamber of Commerce. He 
has served on the Advisory Board of the Eno Transportation Foundation, 
and currently serves on the Board of the Washington, DC Convention and 
Tourism Corporation, on both the Board of Directors and Executive 
Committee of the Dulles Area Transportation Association, and has served 
on the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board.
  The people of Northern Virginia join these organizations in their 
debt of gratitude to Jim Wilding, and extend him heartfelt thanks for 
his continuing role in advancing the prosperity of the Washington 
region. Mr. Chairman, the life and service of this Virginian serve as a 
shining example to all who wish to improve the well-being of their 
community through dynamic public and private activity.

                          ____________________