[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19927]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING GERRY HYLAND ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE FAIRFAX COUNTY 
                          BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 9, 2015

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate my friend Gerry 
Hyland, Mount Vernon District Supervisor on the occasion of his 
retirement from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors following 28 
years of faithful service.
  Gerry was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1987, serving 
as Chairman of the Fire Commission and co-chair of the Community 
Revitalization and Reinvestment Committee. He also served as a member 
of the Budget Policy, Development Process, Environmental, Housing and 
Community Development, Human Services, Information Technology, 
Personnel and Reorganization, and Transportation Committees.
  Yet serving on the Board of Supervisors was just one part of Gerry's 
commitment and service to our community. Prior to being elected to that 
position, he also served on the Board of Zoning Appeals and as both 
President and Member of the Board of United Community Ministries and 
the Fairfax Human Rights Commission.
  Gerry's commitment to service has extended across regional 
boundaries. He served on the Washington Metropolitan Council of 
Governments, the Virginia Association of Counties, the National 
Association of Counties, as past chairman of the Virginia Railway 
Express, and as a past board member of both the Washington Metropolitan 
Area Transportation Authority and the Northern Virginia Transportation 
Commission.
  Gerry was also appointed by the Governor of Virginia to serve on 
several boards and commissions including the Virginia History 
Initiative, the Commission on Population, Growth and Development, and 
the Local Government Advisory Committee for the Chesapeake Bay over the 
course of his career.
  In addition to his numerous contributions at the civilian level, 
Gerry served 30 years in the United States Air Force, 6 years active 
duty (4 of which were spent overseas) and 23 years in the Reserves. He 
retired at the rank of Colonel while serving as a White House Liaison.
  He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Elizabeth 
and David Scull Metropolitan Public Service Award for Outstanding 
Leadership to the Washington Metropolitan Area from the Washington 
Metropolitan Council of Governments, Cooperator of the Year Award from 
the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, the 
Dedicated Support Award from the Medical Care for Children Partnership, 
and the Gold Medal for Lifesaving from the Grande Prix Humanitaire de 
France.
  These awards and accolades are testimony to Gerry's quality as a 
leader and the determination with which he approached his work. One 
need look no further than his own Mount Vernon district for evidence of 
this. Whether it was shepherding the community through the BRAC process 
and helping to manage the enormous growth at Fort Belvoir, to the 
establishment of the Richmond Highway Express Bus Route, the creation 
of the South County Government Center, advocating for the construction 
of a new high school and middle school to serve the growing population, 
the preservation of Inova's Mount Vernon facilities or the securing of 
affordable housing for seniors at Gum Springs, you could always count 
on Gerry Hyland being knowledgeable and fully engaged with every 
situation that was brought to him. Gerry truly cares about his 
constituents and has dedicated every minute of his time in office to 
improving their lives and our South County community.
  I will always remember the grace with which he approached his work. 
Even in the face of unimaginable tragedy brought by the death of his 
wife, he continued to put the needs of others before his own. When we 
served together on the Board of Supervisors, he would routinely bring 
fresh produce from his farm on the Eastern Shore to share with us, a 
tradition that continues to this day. Just when you didn't think it was 
possible for one man to give any more, Gerry would prove you wrong.
  Mr. Speaker, Gerry Hyland has been a fixture of the community in 
Fairfax County for more than 35 years. While he may be officially 
retiring from the Board of Supervisors, I suspect that he will remain 
an active advocate for the causes that are dear to him. I ask my 
colleagues to please join me in congratulating him on his retirement, 
in thanking him for his immeasurable dedication and commitment to our 
community, and in wishing him all the best for continued health and 
success.

                          ____________________