Bill Text: VA HJR204 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Bernard L. Jones, Sr.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-02-29 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ204ER) [HJR204 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HJR204-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Bernard L. Jones, Sr., provided visionary leadership and outstanding service to the residents of Brunswick County as a member of the Brunswick County Board of Supervisors for 20 years; and
WHEREAS, Bernard Jones spent much of his career working for phone companies, but was most passionate about farming and agriculture; he worked on a farm in his youth and enjoyed tending to crops in his spare time throughout his life; and
WHEREAS, Bernard Jones was well-known in the community for his fresh produce, especially his delicious sweet potatoes, which he occasionally sold, but more often gave away to family, friends, community members, and even people visiting Brunswick County on official business; and
WHEREAS, beginning in 2004, Bernard Jones represented the Red Oak District on the Brunswick County Board of Supervisors and worked diligently to enhance the quality of life of all Brunswick County residents; and
WHEREAS, Bernard Jones served as chair of the Brunswick County Board of Supervisors in 2007, 2011, 2014, and 2016 and as vice chair in 2010, 2021, and 2023; he provided his expertise to standing committees related to emergency services, facilities, finance, solid waste, technology, and schools; and
WHEREAS, over the course of his career in local government, Bernard Jones supported responsible growth and development, including projects at Fort Christanna, the Dominion Energy Power Plant, the Meherrin River Regional Jail, the Brunswick County Conference Center, the Brunswick County Byways Visitor Center, and several local convenience centers; and
WHEREAS, Bernard Jones supported the creation of a new emergency communications system, construction of new schools, infrastructure for broadband Internet, and improvements to local affordable housing, and he helped facilitate Brunswick Stew Day at the Virginia State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Bernard Jones worked with Brunswick Health Ambassadors, a group of volunteers promoting healthier lifestyles for county residents, and served as chair of an off-shoot called Brunswick Farms to Families, which was created to address the lack of accessibility to fresh food for many residents; and
WHEREAS, under the leadership of Bernard Jones, Brunswick Farms to Families encouraged local farmers to plant fruits and vegetables to develop local sources of healthy food, facilitated donations of fresh food to community food pantries, and helped set up local gardens; in addition, he worked with schools to inspire young people to develop and pursue interests in agriculture; and
WHEREAS, Bernard Jones also represented the community on the Brunswick County Planning Commission, Brunswick County Board of Zoning Appeals, Southside Planning District Commission, Emergency Services Advisory Board, South Central Workforce Development Board, Southside Virginia Education Center Board of Directors, and Virginia's Growth Alliance, as well as other local boards and commissions; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure on the Brunswick County Board of Supervisors, Bernard Jones was a trusted source of institutional knowledge, who earned the admiration of his colleagues for his attention to detail and ability with numbers; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Bernard L. Jones, Sr., for his two decades of service as a member of the Brunswick County Board of Supervisors; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Bernard L. Jones, Sr., as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his personal and professional achievements.
