[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 183 (Tuesday, November 20, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1547]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF LEADERSHIP FAIRFAX

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 20, 2018

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an organization that 
has made an incredible mark on our Northern Virginia community. Since 
1988, Leadership Fairfax has dedicated itself to shaping the future 
leaders of tomorrow. The dedication of Leadership Fairfax to this 
endeavor is one that I know well; a number of my staff from my time as 
Providence District Supervisor and later as Chairman of the Fairfax 
County Board of Supervisors are Leadership Fairfax alumni.
  Through both the Leadership Fairfax Institute and the Emerging 
Leaders Institute, Leadership Fairfax identifies the leaders of 
tomorrow and works to equip them with the knowledge, experience and 
skills to not only become more productive employees within their 
organizations, but also to become more productive members of society 
and their communities as well. As part of their training programs, 
enrollees in both LFI and ELI are given a contemporary issue facing 
Fairfax County to solve. These collaborations have led to invaluable 
insight for both the public and private sectors and have at times 
illuminated possible avenues for partnerships where none seemed to 
exist previously. Recent ELI and LFI programs have focused on 
increasing ethics and transparency in government, something which is 
called for now perhaps more than at any previous point in our history. 
I commend Leadership Fairfax for its continued dedication to enhancing 
civic life in Northern Virginia.
  One of the benefits of Leadership Fairfax that I have valued the most 
is the ability to foster consensus on difficult issues. In Fairfax 
County, we can pride ourselves on having a model of civil discourse and 
debate when it comes to dealing with the problems of government. Even 
though we might have strong disagreements on an issue, we have been 
able to engage in these discussions without having the forum devolve 
into personal attacks. As the national political environment grows ever 
more toxic, it is even more vital that we have programs like Leadership 
Fairfax which remind us that the main objective of government is to 
solve problems, not to score political points for one party or another.
  Mr. Speaker, we in Northern Virginia are blessed with an abundance of 
civic engagement and a belief in giving back to one's community. That 
abundance is something which is unique to our region, cultivated over 
time by the efforts of organizations like Leadership Fairfax. I want to 
especially thank Tim Sargeant, Karen Cleveland and all the members of 
the Board of Directors, staff and volunteers that have worked to 
continue that cultivation over the last three decades. I also extend my 
congratulations to all of the graduates of Leadership Fairfax, past and 
present, for the work you do every day in our community to make it a 
better place. All your efforts are truly selfless and are worthy of our 
highest praise. Congratulations on this momentous anniversary. I look 
forward to celebrating your continued contributions for many years to 
come.