WHEREAS, Robin Reed, a meteorologist and television news anchor who served generations of Roanoke residents over the course of his 40-year career on WDBJ7, retired in December 2022; and

WHEREAS, after graduating from James Madison High School, Robin Reed considered a career in professional baseball and attended a private workout with the Texas Rangers; he ultimately chose to attend James Madison University, from which he earned a bachelor's degree in communications; and

WHEREAS, Robin Reed studied meteorology at Pennsylvania State University, Ball State University, Mississippi State University, Portland State University, and what are now Graduate School USA and the Lyndon Campus of Northern Vermont University; and

WHEREAS, in 1978, Robin Reed began his television career as a sports director and weathercaster for WHSV in Harrisonburg; four years later, he joined WDBJ7, where he served as chief meteorologist until 2017; and

WHEREAS, Robin Reed delivered life-saving information during many severe weather events, including blizzards, tornadoes, tropical storms, and other natural disasters, such as the flood of 1985; and

WHEREAS, presenting weather forecasts during multiple daily broadcasts, Robin Reed was well-known in the community as a local celebrity; he was ranked by The Roanoker magazine as both the most trusted weather anchor in the region and the most attractive local news personality; and

WHEREAS, Robin Reed was highly respected in the field of meteorology, earning the Seal of Approval and Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designation from the American Meteorological Society; in 1997, he was invited to the White House to participate in a seminar with several fellow weathercasters, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, President Bill Clinton, and Vice President Al Gore; and

WHEREAS, Robin Reed has mentored other meteorologists, including many who distinguished themselves at WDBJ7 and in newsrooms across the country, as well as in government service with the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center; and

WHEREAS, in 2017, Robin Reed stepped down as chief meteorologist and became the lead anchor of WDBJ7's 6:00 p.m. newscast; and

WHEREAS, Robin Reed is a sought-after speaker in Southwest Virginia and a champion for math and science education; he is a member of the advisory council for the School of Media Arts and Design at James Madison University, and he has inspired countless young people to pursue careers in broadcast journalism; and

WHEREAS, Robin Reed served on the board of the Science Museum of Western Virginia and played an instrumental role in the creation of the museum's weather exhibit; and

WHEREAS, Robin Reed served as a lecturer at Virginia Western Community College from 1998 until 2002 and as an adjunct instructor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University beginning in 2013; he continues to influence the next generation of broadcast journalists as a full-time professor of practice at the School of Communication at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; and

WHEREAS, Robin Reed has received numerous awards for his skill as a broadcaster and his involvement in the community, including the Roanoke Branch NAACP Citizen of the Year Award–Media in 2012, the Virginia AP Broadcasters Gallimore Award in 2021, and the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle Award in 2021; and

WHEREAS, Robin Reed is a dedicated family man who often traveled home to have dinner with his wife and children in between broadcasts and was active in the community by supporting his children at school events and other activities; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Robin Reed hereby be commended on the occasion of his retirement as a meteorologist and news anchor with WDBJ7; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Robin Reed as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for his legacy of service to Roanoke residents and best wishes on his well-earned retirement.