[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 6, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING JO HODGIN FOR 21 YEARS OF SERVICE TO WOLF TRAP FOUNDATION 
                        FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 6, 2014

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize my constituent, Jo 
Hodgin, on the occasion of her retirement after 21 years of service to 
the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. Through her 
leadership of Wolf Trap's government relations program, and her 
coordination of a wide range of special initiatives for the Foundation, 
Ms. Hodgin, a resident of Annandale, has expanded upon Wolf Trap's 
success as America's National Park for the Performing Arts.
  Ms. Hodgin began her career by serving as deputy director for the 
Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, now known as Culture Capital. 
In that role, she fostered cooperation among hundreds of regional arts 
organizations. She also launched the Business Volunteers for the Arts 
program, which forged connections between the arts and business 
communities in the Washington, D.C., region. The BVA program, featured 
in Washingtonian magazine, facilitated the completion of hundreds of 
arts projects, and it expanded the role of private business in the 
arts.
  When Ms. Hodgin became director of Foundation Grants at Wolf Trap, 
she increased annual grants income from $600,000 to $1.2 million. Based 
on her tremendous success, she was promoted into her current role as 
Director of Planning and Initiatives. A central achievement of Ms. 
Hodgin's tenure was the successful management of the organization's 
government relations program. She has engaged policy leaders and 
decision-makers at all levels of government, educating them about the 
broad benefits of Wolf Trap's initiatives across the country. Her 
outreach efforts not only have secured greater support for Wolf Trap, 
but also helped mobilize the larger arts community to advance their 
interests.
  In addition, Ms. Hodgin spearheaded a range of special initiatives 
for the Foundation. For example, she collaborated with former Wolf Trap 
Foundation President and CEO Terre Jones on the acclaimed Face of 
America series, which celebrated America's national parks through a 
variety of artistic mediums, including music, spoken word, and dance. 
The series reached a national audience on PBS, and one of its films, On 
the Wings of a Dream, won an Emmy in 2004.
  Ms. Hodgin's three-decades of service to the arts have helped to 
enrich the Wolf Trap Foundation, the Northern Virginia community, and 
our Nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Jo 
Hodgin for her service to our National Park for the Performing Arts, 
and in wishing her and her family all the best in their future 
endeavors.

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