Bill Text: VA SJR226 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Commending the Honorable Marie Yovanovitch.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2020-03-12 - Left in Rules [SJR226 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2020-SJR226-Introduced.html
WHEREAS, the Honorable Marie Yovanovitch, an experienced diplomat who represented the United States at multiple foreign posts, retired from the U.S. Department of State after more than 30 years of distinguished service; and
WHEREAS, born in Canada after her parents had fled the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, Marie Yovanovitch relocated to Connecticut when she was young and proudly became a citizen of the United States at age 18; and
WHEREAS, Marie Yovanovitch began her career with the United States Foreign Service in 1986 and completed assignments in Canada, Russia, England, and Somalia; she also served as deputy director of the State Department's Russia desk from 1998 to 2000 and senior advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 2004 to 2005; and
WHEREAS, Marie Yovanovitch served as the ambassador to Kyrgyzstan from 2005 to 2008 and Armenia from 2008 to 2011, during which time she oversaw one of the largest United States embassy compounds in the world; and
WHEREAS, after an assignment as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Marie Yovanovitch began her tenure as ambassador to Ukraine in 2016; she earned respect and admiration within the national security community for her efforts to bolster the country's fight against corruption; and
WHEREAS, throughout her career, Marie Yovanovitch was known for her commitment to supporting democracy and the advancement of women; she received the U.S. Secretary of State's Diplomacy in Human Rights Award for her stalwart defense of human rights around the world; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Honorable Marie Yovanovitch on the occasion of her retirement from the U.S. Department of State; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Honorable Marie Yovanovitch as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for her outstanding contributions to the United States Foreign Service.
