[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 23532-23533]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF MR. AL AKERS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 22, 2002

  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this 
opportunity to honor Mr. Al Akers upon his retirement as President of 
the Occoquan Watershed Coalition on December 1, 2002.
  Mr. Akers' resume and accomplishments speak for themselves. He holds 
masters degrees in both business administration and international 
relations, and he is a graduate of the Advanced Management Programs at 
the Claremont Graduate School and the University of Southern 
California. After retiring from the U.S. Army as a major general, Mr. 
Akers helped launch two companies and was the executive director of a 
non-profit organization.
  Not only does Mr. Akers have an impeccable career on paper, he has 
had a great and tangible impact on his community. In 1993, he served as 
chairman of the Superintendent's Community Advisory Counsel for Fairfax 
County Public Schools. Then, in 1995, he was selected as Lord Fairfax 
for the Springfield District, and also became a member of the Task 
Force on Fairfax County Resources and Expenditures. Mr. Akers served as 
a member of the Lorton Task Force from 1995-1997 and as vice chairman 
of the Springfield District Council. In addition to serving as vice 
chairman of this council, Mr. Akers was, and remains a member.
  Perhaps one of his most significant contributions has been his work 
with the Occoquan Watershed Coalition, an all-volunteer organization 
committed to the protection of ``The Downzoned Occoquan Watershed'' and 
drinking water it provides. Mr. Akers served as vice president of the 
Occoquan Watershed Coalition from 1994-1999, in addition to serving as 
the coalition's representative to the Fairfax County Federation of 
Citizen's Association since 1995.
  It is his tenure as President of the Occoquan Watershed Coalition we 
recognize today.

[[Page 23533]]

  Mr. Speaker, in closing, it is with great pleasure that I extend a 
wholehearted thank you to Mr. Al Akers. His contributions to Virginia 
and his community have been great. Virginia is proud to have such a 
distinguished citizen in its professional and social community. I call 
upon my colleagues to join me in applauding him for all that he has 
done.

                          ____________________