[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 164 (Tuesday, September 22, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E871-E872]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING RAY PETHTEL, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. H. MORGAN GRIFFITH

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 22, 2020

  Mr. GRIFFITH. Madam Speaker, I offer these remarks in honor of Ray 
Pethtel, Jr. of Christiansburg, Virginia, who passed away on September 
12, 2020 at the age of 83. Ray was a longtime public servant who was 
committed to accountability and high performance in Virginia state 
government.
  Ray was born in Gallipolis, Ohio and graduated from high school in 
New Kensington, Pennsylvania. After service in the United States Air 
Force, he returned to Pennsylvania and earned a bachelor's and a 
master's degree from the Pennsylvania State University.

[[Page E872]]

He held multiple positions in New York state government, interrupted by 
a stint in Washington, D.C., as Director of Administration for the 
American Society for Public Administration.
  The Virginia General Assembly established the Joint Legislative Audit 
and Review Commission (JLARC) in 1973, and Ray was hired as the first 
director. JLARC was created to assist the General Assembly in its 
oversight responsibilities by auditing state government agencies and 
analyzing their effectiveness. In this mission, JLARC located an ideal 
founding director in Ray. He assembled a strong team and performed his 
duties with rigor and attentiveness. When I was a member of the House 
of Delegates, I saw firsthand the importance of JLARC's mission and 
contributions; Ray's work for twelve years at JLARC helped build that 
institution and made it a model for other states.
  After winning election in 1985, Governor Gerald Baliles appointed Ray 
to serve as the Commissioner of Virginia's Department of Highways and 
Transportation, now the Department of Transportation (VDOT). His time 
at JLARC had familiarized him with the Commonwealth's transportation 
needs. Under his leadership, which lasted through the terms of Governor 
Baliles and his successor Doug Wilder, VDOT completed many important 
projects, became more efficient, and improved its communications with 
the public about its work.
  Ray continued to work on transportation after leaving office at 
Virginia Tech's Transportation Institute. He brought his knowledge of 
highways and transportation to the institute's research, and it now 
stands as one of the country's leading academic centers in the field. 
In this capacity, I had the opportunity to work with Ray.
  For his leadership over the years, Ray won numerous awards and 
recognitions, including the New Century Region High Tech Leadership 
Award, American Society of Highway Engineers Robert E. Person P.E. 
Person of the Year Award, the Rotary Foundation International Paul 
Harris Fellow, the Virginia Tech University Transportation Fellow, the 
Penn State Alumni Fellow, and the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Hall of 
Fame.
  Ray is survived by his wife, Mary Jane, his three daughters, 
Jennifer, Leslie and Judy, his grandchildren, Austin, Stephanie and 
Kathleen, and his sons-in-law, Tom, Ken and Scott. I would like to 
offer my condolences to them on the loss of this committed and diligent 
public servant.

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