[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 200 (Thursday, December 22, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1337]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CONGRATULATING MS. ANN DUNNING FOR 50 YEARS OF OPHTHALMOLOGIC 
                           DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 22, 2022

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the distinguished 
career of my constituent, Ms. Ann Dunning, who has served the Town of 
Vienna, Virginia for 50 years.
  For her decades of comforting and welcoming patients at Mitchell Eye 
Institute, a local ophthalmologist's office, Ms. Dunning received the 
inaugural Town of Vienna Outstanding Service Award from Mayor Linda 
Colbert in a ceremony on Monday, September 26, in a celebration that 
included generations of her patients.
  This honor was initiated by the Mayor and the Town Business Liaison 
Committee to recognize the individuals in local businesses who have 
gone above and beyond to better their community. Ms. Dunning's 
dedication for five decades has earned her the respect, admiration, and 
trust of her patients and colleagues.
  Dr. John Mitchell, the lead ophthalmologist who nominated Ms. Dunning 
for this award, noted that she has made her patients ``feel secure with 
a continuity of care she has provided them throughout the years.'' It 
is no surprise that patients regularly request appointments on days 
when Ms. Dunning will be working.
  Ann Dunning's lifelong dedication to her patients is not only the 
mark of a passionate individual, but of a community member who 
recognizes the profound impact we can have on one another in everyday 
interactions. In her capacity as a medical practitioner, she could have 
easily adopted a routine that did not account for the feelings of those 
seeking care.
  Instead, Ms. Dunning puts people first. It is exactly this care and 
kindness that has made her an iconic fixture in the community. I hope 
that her lessons of gentleness and service will inspire further 
generations to find ways to make others feel welcome, wherever they may 
be.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Ann 
Dunning for her 50 years providing ophthalmologic diagnostic service to 
the Town of Vienna. From her measured demeanor and kind words to her 
boundless perseverance and dedication to service, Ms. Dunning has 
illuminated herself as an example to all of us of the comfort we can 
provide by the smallest actions. I am proud to represent such an 
upstanding and compassionate citizen in Congress, and I wish her the 
best in all her future endeavors.

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