[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6820-6821]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING MR. GERALD T. HALPIN

 Mr. ROBB. Mr. President, I'd like to use this occasion to 
honor a long-time friend, Mr. Gerald T. Halpin, who has shown that 
economic prosperity can go hand-in-hand with public service. Jerry 
Halpin is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of 
WEST*GROUP, a commercial real estate company based in McLean, Virginia, 
and he was recently honored as the 1998 Fairfax County Citizen of the 
Year by the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations and 
``The Washington Post.'' Jerry Halpin deserves this recognition, not 
just because he changed the face of Fairfax County as a visionary 
businessman, but also because of his vast record of quiet and selfless 
community leadership.
  Anyone who is familiar with Northern Virginia is also familiar with 
Jerry Halpin's business accomplishments, although not everyone knows 
the full range of this self-effacing, public-spirited citizen's 
contributions to our community. In 1962, Jerry and three partners 
purchased a 125-acre farm on the crest of a hill in western Fairfax. On 
that crest he built Tysons Corner, which remains to this day one of the 
primary commercial centers in the entire region. His WEST*GROUP 
properties dot the area, and he has been responsible for the 
development, redevelopment or construction of office, retail, 
residential, resort, and industrial space for WEST*GROUP affiliates 
aggregating more than 12 million square feet.
  In the midst of this time-consuming and successful business career, 
however, Jerry Halpin made the time to reinvest in his community. His 
specific contributions to this region are far too numerous to mention, 
although I would like to highlight a few. Thirty-five years ago, when 
the Fairfax County Park Authority was unable to secure sufficient funds 
to purchase land for a park site, he refinanced his home to cover the 
purchase price and then turned the land over to the Park Authority. 
Today, that land constitutes Burke Lake Park, one of Fairfax County's 
finest public recreation areas. As he was developing the WEST*GATE and 
WEST*PARK Office Parks in Tysons Corner, Jerry ensured that a net gain 
of trees existed after construction and donated land for a school, a 
ball park and transit stations. He

[[Page 6821]]

played a major role in the purchase of various structures for Wolf Trap 
Farm Park, one of the finest facilities in the area, and dedicated 
substantial time to the Park as an early Trustee, Executive Committee 
Co-Chairman and Finance Committee Chairman of the Wolf Trap Foundation. 
On a more personal scale, Jerry was also involved in the landscaping of 
Trinity United Methodist Church and the Churchill Road Elementary 
School playground, both in McLean. A common thread runs through these 
disparate projects. Knowing him as I do, I am convinced that Jerry 
undertook each, not to advance his personal ambitions, but to promote 
the public interest. That's why many who live in the region are 
familiar with Jerry's commercial work but are less familiar with his 
public works. That is because Jerry is not a self-promoter, and I know 
he did not seek the honor that was bestowed upon him by the Federation 
of Citizens Associations. I am glad, however, that his selflessness has 
been recognized, not so much because Jerry needs awards, but because he 
provides the community with such a positive role model.
  Despite his many years of work and service, Jerry Halpin is still 
going strong. He currently serves as Chairman of the Grand Teton 
National Park Foundation, as a Director of the National Fish and 
Wildlife Foundation, and as a Director and Chairman of the Finance 
Committee for the National Capital Bicentennial Celebration. These 
current activities build on many in the past, such as his service with 
the American Horticultural Society, the American Museum of Immigration, 
the National Parks and Recreation Association, the Virginia Museum of 
Science, the Boarder Baby Project Gala, and the Medical Care for 
Children Partnership Awards Dinner. Jerry has also volunteered his time 
and leadership skills to many charitable organizations including the 
McLean Project for the Arts, United Community Ministries, the Claude 
Moore Colonial Farm, Hospice of Northern Virginia, Fairfax Hospital and 
Northern Virginia Community College.
  Jerry's civic participation has extended to various public boards and 
commissions. During my term as Governor of Virginia, I appointed him to 
the Governor's Task Force on Science and Technology and to the 
Governor's Joint Study Committee to inquire into the practicality of 
creating a Coal Slurry Pipeline in Virginia. Jerry served as a member 
of the Governor's Advisory Board on Industrial Development under 
Governors Holton, Godwin and Dalton. He was also a member of the 
Fairfax County Economic Development Authority and its predecessor 
organizations for over eight years.
  Jerry Halpin has been a personal friend of mine for many years now. 
For over forty years, he has provided community leadership not only for 
Fairfax County, but to all of Northern Virginia and the Washington D.C. 
metropolitan area. The Fairfax County Federation of Citizens 
Associations and ``The Washington Post'' could not have selected anyone 
more deserving than Jerry Halpin to be the 1998 Fairfax County Citizen 
of the Year. George Hartzog, the former Director of the National Park 
Service, has called Jerry a ``treasure to mankind''--I couldn't have 
said it better.

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