[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 63 (Thursday, April 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E787-E788]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO MARK D. LERNER, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ANNETTE M. AND 
                  THEODORE N. LERNER FAMILY FOUNDATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 19, 2007

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mark D. 
Lerner, Vice President of The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family 
Foundation, who will receive the ``Chadesh Yameinu'' (which means 
`renewing our days' in Hebrew) Award from the Charles E. Smith Jewish 
Day School of Rockville, Maryland, where Mr. Lerner has served as a 
board member and is a proud alumni parent. Mr. Lerner's vision of 
community service and his unswerving dedication to seeding tomorrow's 
leaders by supporting their education today made him an ideal recipient 
for this prestigious award.
  Mark D. Lerner is a principal of Lerner Enterprises, the estate 
development, management, and investment company founded by his

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father, Theodore N. Lerner, more than 50 years ago. In 2006, along with 
his father and brothers-in-law, Mark became a principal owner of Major 
League Baseball's Washington Nationals, in large part because of a 
``family model'' of ownership lauded by Major League Baseball as the 
ideal way to ensure continuity and growth, both for the team and for 
the greater Washington community. Mark believes in a vision of 
athletics as a catalyst for civic renewal and that vision extends to 
his many other professional business interests.
  Mark's dedication to community service is illustrated by his 
impressive record of volunteerism and philanthropy, whether serving as 
a valued board member or participating in the daily life of 
institutions fighting for the causes he champions. As Vice President of 
The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation, he provides 
generous support to Jewish organizations in the fields of higher 
education, community-building, religious life, and tolerance. Pairing 
his investment in strengthening Jewish communal life with his passion 
for athletics, he has co-chaired the JCC Maccabi Games of Greater 
Washington and continues to seek out opportunities to foster community 
through sport.
  Mark Lerner has displayed an unwavering commitment to the Charles E. 
Smith Jewish Day School throughout his years of involvement as a 
parent, alumni parent, and steadfast supporter. He chaired the Building 
Committee of Operation Excellence, the CESJDS campaign for the 
construction of the state-of-the-art Lower and Upper School campuses. 
Until recently, he also was a member of the Board of Directors and 
chaired the Building and Grounds Committee. His expertise in the area 
of real estate management has guided the school's expansion and ensured 
that its students are equipped to thrive in a space that nourishes 
their love of learning.
  CESJDS honors a distinguished member of our community every year with 
the ``Chadesh Yameinu'' Award. With a name drawn from a Hebrew prayer 
that refers to ``renewing our days,'' the Chadesh Yameinu Award 
expresses the school's appreciation for the recipient's contribution to 
the institution's continued vitality and, by extension, to the promise 
of a bright Jewish tomorrow.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to 
Mark D. Lerner, whose commitment to Jewish education and his leadership 
in community service and philanthropy serve as a shining example to 
future generations.

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