Bill Text: VA HJR354 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Annette Lewis.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 5-1)
Status: (Passed) 2024-03-08 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ354ER) [HJR354 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HJR354-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Annette Lewis, former president of Total Action for Progress, a Roanoke-based nonprofit organization providing social support programs to area families in need, retired in September 2023; and
WHEREAS, a native of Dallas and graduate of West Texas State University, Annette Lewis began her career with Total Action for Progress (TAP) 35 years ago as a summer youth counselor; and
WHEREAS, as a result of her work ethic and dedication, Annette Lewis rose through the ranks at TAP, serving over the years as the organization's supervisor of family and parent involvement at the Head Start education program, as director of the This Valley Works employment program, and as vice president and later senior vice president of programs; and
WHEREAS, Annette Lewis became the president of TAP in May 2015, embracing the responsibility of overseeing the organization's expansive portfolio of educational programs, employment training, financial services, family services, housing programs, and more; and
WHEREAS, under Annette Lewis' tenure, TAP embarked on a number of remarkable initiatives, including the creation of a statewide job training network, the development of the Sabrina's Place supervised visitation and safe space program, and the establishment of an annual football game between historically Black colleges and universities in the Commonwealth to raise money for high school dropout retrieval; and
WHEREAS, Annette Lewis has received numerous honors through the years for her accomplishments in service to the Roanoke Valley community, such as the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major of Justice Award from the Roanoke chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 2016; and
WHEREAS, beyond TAP, Annette Lewis has made an impact by serving on the boards of several community organizations and committees, including the Roanoke Higher Education Authority, the Taubman Museum of Art, the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Virginia Community Action Partnership, which she served as chair; and
WHEREAS, Annette Lewis was an appointed member of the Roanoke City School Board from 2010 to 2019, where she worked tirelessly for the benefit of the city's students, teachers, and families; and
WHEREAS, through her unwavering commitment to the mission and core values of TAP, Annette Lewis improved the quality of life for countless people living in the Roanoke Valley region, earning the esteem and admiration of all Virginians; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Annette Lewis on the occasion of her retirement from Total Action for Progress; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Annette Lewis as an expression of the General Assembly's high regard for her legacy of service and best wishes for a happy and fulfilling retirement.
