[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 137 (Monday, September 17, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF LYDIA THOMAS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 17, 2007

  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. 
Lydia Thomas on the occasion of her retirement as President and CEO of 
Noblis Inc. in Falls Church, VA.
  Dr. Thomas graduated from Howard University in 1965 with a bachelor 
of science in zoology. She went on to pursue a master of science in 
microbiology from American University in 1971, and later, returned to 
Howard to earn a doctor of philosophy in cytology.
  Dr. Thomas began her career with the MITRE Corporation in 1973. While 
at MITRE, she held a variety of technical and management positions in 
the areas of energy, environment, health, and communications systems. 
In 2002, she was appointed by President Bush to serve as a founding 
member of the President's Homeland Security Advisory Council. Dr. 
Thomas was elected to the Council on Foreign Relations that same year. 
In 2005, she chaired the Homeland Security Advisory Council's Task 
Force on Preventing the Entry of Weapons of Mass Effects on U.S. Soil.
  On the State level, Dr. Thomas was appointed to the Virginia Research 
and Technology Advisory Commission by Governor George Allen, and then 
for a second term by Governor Mark Warner. Active in her local 
community, Dr. Thomas is a member of the Superintendent's Business/
Industry Advisory Council for Fairfax County Public Schools, a trustee 
of the INOVA Health System, and a member of the Northern Virginia 
Health Force.
  Dr. Thomas is the recipient of numerous awards throughout her career, 
including the 1986 TWIN Award by the Young Women's Christian 
Association; the 1990 ``Ebone'' Image Award by the Coalition of 100 
Black Women; the Deans' Award at the 1991 Black Engineer of the Year 
Conference; and one of the 50 Most Important Blacks in Research Science 
in 2004.
  Madam Speaker, in closing, I applaud Dr. Lydia Thomas on a 
distinguished career dedicated to ensuring the national security and 
environmental health of our Nation. I call upon my colleagues to join 
me in congratulating Dr. Thomas on her retirement and wishing her the 
best of luck in all future endeavors.

                          ____________________