WHEREAS, George Sachs, who admirably served as executive director of the McLean Community Center from 2010 to 2021, retired on May 7, 2021; and

WHEREAS, George Sachs began his career in the recreation, parks, and leisure services industry in 1974, when he became a recreation specialist with the Fairfax County Department of Recreation; later, he joined the Fairfax County Park Authority and opened its first RECenter, now known as the Audrey Moore RECenter; and

WHEREAS, George Sachs worked for George Mason University in the 1980s, spearheading the opening of its Field House sports complex and managing its other recreation and sports facilities; concurrently, he served as an adjunct professor in the university's Department of Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies, contributing greatly to the success of future professionals in his field; and

WHEREAS, after a brief tenure as deputy director of the McLean Community Center (MCC) in the early 1990s, George Sachs relocated to South Carolina, where he developed a chain of five health and fitness centers over several years; and

WHEREAS, an opportunity to serve as manager of the MCC's Old Firehouse Teen Center brought George Sachs back to the Commonwealth in 2009; a year later, the MCC governing board appointed him to serve as the community center's executive director, a position in which he would faithfully serve for the next 11 years; and

WHEREAS, as executive director of MCC, George Sachs oversaw a wide-range of community programs for children and adults, including classes, lectures, study tours, camps, art exhibits, theatre performances, and specialty shows, as well as major community events such as McLean Day at Lewinsville Park and the 4th of July fireworks at Churchill Road Elementary School; and

WHEREAS, one of George Sachs' most significant accomplishments during his tenure as executive director of MCC was leading the renovation and expansion of the center's facility on Ingleside Avenue, from securing an architectural firm to plan the center's renovation and design to creating new programs and services to best utilize the newly expanded facility; and

WHEREAS, George Sachs' accomplishments in his career were the result of his steadfast commitment to the communities he served, as he worked tirelessly over many years to make McLean and Fairfax County wonderful places to live, work, and play; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That George Sachs, executive director of the McLean Community Center, hereby be commended on the occasion of his retirement; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to George Sachs as an expression of the House of Delegates' appreciation for his contributions to the Commonwealth.