[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 50 (Monday, April 15, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF WALTER ALCORN FOR RECEIPT OF LEADERSHIP FAIRFAX'S 
           KATHERINE K. HANLEY PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD FOR 2013

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                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 15, 2013

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize this year's recipient 
of Leadership Fairfax's Katherine K. Hanley Public Service Award. This 
year's award goes to Walter Alcorn, whom I had the great pleasure of 
working with during his sixteen years on the Fairfax County Planning 
Commission.
   Leadership Fairfax is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to finding, 
training and growing leaders in Northern Virginia. Leadership Fairfax 
seeks to build leaders who raise the tide not only in their 
organization or local community but in the whole Northern Virginia 
region. Graduates from its programs become part of and stay connected 
to a fast growing number of civic leaders. I've always said, ``When you 
walk into a crowded room it's easy to spot the graduates of Leadership 
Fairfax--they just stand out!''
   Northern Virginia is blessed with many leaders who have given their 
time and service to make a difference in our community. To recognize 
these outstanding leaders among us, Leadership Fairfax instituted the 
Katherine K. Hanley Public Service Award. This annual award honors an 
individual for his or her outstanding accomplishments in the areas of 
public service employment or service on a public board, authority or 
commission and for lasting contributions to the quality of life in the 
community.
   Walter Alcorn has stood out in our community for many years. After 
graduating from the University of Virginia, he began his career as a 
policy aide to then-Supervisor Kate Hanley, who was my predecessor as 
Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Kate appointed him 
to the Fairfax County Planning Commission in 1996, and I had the honor 
of reappointing him three times during my tenure as Chairman. As Chair 
of the Planning Commission's Tysons Corner Committee, Walter oversaw 
revisions of the comprehensive plan for Tysons that will allow what is 
known as the downtown of Fairfax County to be transformed from an area 
filled mainly with strip malls, car dealerships, and office buildings 
into a vibrant, walkable, sustainable, mixed-use community. Many people 
said that was impossible, but Walter displayed the patience and 
persistence of an owl in finding a way to lead a wide variety of 
stakeholders to forge the compromises necessary to move forward. The 
result of that effort, the Tysons Plan, received the 2011 Daniel 
Burnham Award from the American Planning Association. That prestigious 
award recognizes only one urban plan in the nation each year, for 
advancing the science and art of planning, and Walter deserves much of 
the credit.
   Along with his service to the county, Walter has been an 
enthusiastic little league baseball coach and serves on the steering 
committee of his Sunday School class at the United Christian Parish in 
Reston. When not volunteering, he is Vice President of Environmental 
Affairs and Industry Sustainability at the Consumer Electronics 
Association, where he leads environmental policy and electronics 
recycling efforts as well as legislative initiatives impacting 
electronic product design, eco-labeling and hazardous materials 
restrictions. Prior to CEA he was a consultant on electronics recycling 
issues and co-founded the National Center for Electronics Recycling in 
2005. From 1992 to 2003 he worked at SAIC, where he left as Deputy 
Division Manager in the Technology Research Group. He resides in Reston 
with his wife, Kristina, and their two children, Ryan and Delia. He 
also enjoys a large circle of friends, of which I am proud to be a 
member.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Walter 
Alcorn for receiving of the Katherine K. Hanley Public Service Award 
and in thanking Leadership Fairfax for continuing to develop leaders 
for Northern Virginia.

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