WHEREAS, the Honorable Larry Nicholas Rush of Christiansburg has served the Commonwealth with dedication and distinction throughout his career; and

WHEREAS, after attending Christiansburg High School, Larry Nicholas "Nick" Rush enlisted in the United States Army as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and left active duty in 1989 as a non-commissioned officer; and

WHEREAS, Nick Rush is a proud member of the Republican Party, and at the age of 23, he was the youngest member elected to the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, where he represented District B for 12 years and served as chair and vice chair; and

WHEREAS, in 2011, Nick Rush was elected to represent the Seventh District of the Virginia House of Delegates, which included Floyd County and parts of the Counties of Montgomery and Pulaski; and

WHEREAS, Nick Rush began his 10-year tenure with the Virginia House of Delegates as the 100th member of the 100-member body; as such, he was provided with the smallest office in the General Assembly Building, which, to this day, many will agree was really a closet; and

WHEREAS, during his time with the Virginia House of Delegates, Nick Rush was appointed to the Committees on Appropriations, General Laws, Privileges and Elections, and Militia, Police and Public Safety; and

WHEREAS, Nick Rush served as chair of the Appropriations Higher Education subcommittee and was appointed to the subcommittees on Capital Outlay, Commerce, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Technology, Compensation and General Government, Elementary and Secondary Education, Health and Human Resources, Transportation, Privileges and Elections Appointments, Campaigns, Campaign Finance, Constitutional Amendments, Elections, Election Administration, Gubernatorial Appointments, Redistricting, Voting Rights, House Public Safety Firearms, Public Safety, General Laws Housing, FOIA/Procurement, ABC/Gaming, Professional Occupations and Administrative Process, and Mental Health Services, as well as the Special Subcommittee on Amazon; and

WHEREAS, Nick Rush was appointed to the Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission, of which he served as vice chair; and

WHEREAS, some of Nick Rush's most popular legislative initiatives included creating the Advanced Production Grant Program and Fund in support of eligible businesses, transportation manufacturers, and producers engaged in the production of business trucks, and establishing the Tech Talent Investment Program to assist qualified public institutions of higher education in reaching a goal of increasing by at least 25,000 degrees the number of bachelor's and master's degrees awarded in computer science, computer engineering, and closely related fields; and

WHEREAS, Nick Rush oversaw the creation of the Radford University-Roanoke Division through the acquisition of the Jefferson College of Health Sciences; a Semiconductor Manufacturing Grant Fund for qualified semiconductor manufacturing companies; an individual and corporate tax break for income earned from investments in venture capital accounts; and the "Flat Fee Degree" that discounted tuition and fees for students pursuing degrees in high-demand fields such as education, nursing, and information technology; and

WHEREAS, in 2018, Nick Rush was elected by his fellow Republican Caucus members to serve as majority whip during one of the most historic majority "wins" in history, resulting in a 51–49 party split and requiring unanimous support for all party-controversial legislation; and

WHEREAS, Nick Rush's laugh was widely recognized in the hallways of the Virginia State Capitol, General Assembly Building, and Pocahontas Building; and

WHEREAS, Nick Rush's personal greetings of "Hey, brother!" and "What's up, man?!" continue to make everyone feel a part of his circle of friends; and

WHEREAS, with witty comments like, "Sometimes a squirrel finds a nut!" or "You may as well jump!" or "I get it!", Nick Rush's ways of making points remain unmatched to this very day; and

WHEREAS, Ashley Myers Hood, Eric Bateman, Sherry Burke, and Judi Lynch proudly served as Nick Rush's legislative staff members during his time in the Virginia House of Delegates and are extended members of the Rush family; and

WHEREAS, the Rush family of Jennifer, Cody (Tiffany), Forrest (Mary Beth), and Lilly will always be recognized as the final First Family of the Seventh House District; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia House of Delegates, the Seventh House District, Southwest Virginia, and the Commonwealth will always think of Nick Rush when they hear the words, "Making the New River Valley the best place to live, work, raise a family, and retire"; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Gentleman from Montgomery County, the Honorable Larry Nicholas Rush, hereby be commended as a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Honorable Larry Nicholas Rush as an expression of the House of Delegates' gratitude for his outstanding service to the Counties of Montgomery, Pulaski, and Floyd, to Southwest Virginia, and to the Commonwealth of Virginia.