WHEREAS, Woody Van Valkenburgh, who has dedicated his career to creating employment options for people with disabilities and breaking down barriers to employment, retires in 2015 as president and chief executive officer of Rappahannock Goodwill Industries; and

WHEREAS, serving as president and chief executive officer of Rappahannock Goodwill Industries (RGI) since 1979, Woody Van Valkenburgh helped the organization grow and fulfill its mission to provide vocational and educational services to help people with disabilities achieve employment; and

WHEREAS, under Woody Van Valkenburgh's leadership, in 2014 RGI served more than 4,000 people and placed more than 500 people in jobs, and in 2013, the company accounted for $60 million of economic output in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, admired for his innovative strategies and responsiveness to community needs, Woody Van Valkenburgh freely shares his insights with others and is a valuable resource for groups and companies that serve people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, deeply respected among his peers, Woody Van Valkenburgh serves as treasurer of the Virginia Goodwill Network and the Mid-Atlantic Goodwill Industries Consortium; and

WHEREAS, from 2004 to 2012, Woody Van Valkenburgh shared his expertise as a citizen member of the Virginia Disability Commission, and from 2004 to 2009, he was a member of the Rappahannock Area Disability Services Board; and

WHEREAS, Woody Van Valkenburgh has also served the Commonwealth as a member and chair of the Employment Services Organizations Advisory Committee of the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Woody Van Valkenburgh hereby be commended on the occasion of his retirement as president and chief executive officer of Rappahannock Goodwill Industries; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Woody Van Valkenburgh as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for his leadership of Rappahannock Goodwill Industries and contributions to the Commonwealth.