WHEREAS, James A. Baldwin, executive director of the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission, has offered wise counsel and regional leadership to localities in Southwest Virginia for 50 years; and

WHEREAS, James "Jim" Baldwin grew up in Honaker and graduated from Honaker High School before continuing his studies at The College of William and Mary; and

WHEREAS, Jim Baldwin began his career at the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission (CPPDC) on February 1, 1972, as a planner; and

WHEREAS, on July 1, 2006, Jim Baldwin became the executive director at CPPDC, continuing a long and fulfilling career leading collaborative and cooperative initiatives in the counties of Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell, and Tazewell; and

WHEREAS, Jim Baldwin has worked to advance and facilitate the completion of countless community projects within the region, including substantially increasing the availability of clean drinking water, expanding deployment of high-speed broadband internet and improved wireless connectivity, and spearheading downtown improvement initiatives that have transformed the economic prospects of towns in the region, among many other projects; and

WHEREAS, Jim Baldwin has served as president of the Development District Association of Appalachia as well as a board member for several important national, state, and regional organizations, including the National Association of Development Organizations, the Crooked Road, ‘Round the Mountain, the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation, the Coalfield Water Development Fund, the Virginia Coalfield Coalition, and the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, among others; and

WHEREAS, Jim Baldwin's service to the region has been lauded by his peers and by countless community leaders and he is a recipient of the President's Award from the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions; and

WHEREAS, throughout his career, Jim Baldwin has been guided by his unwavering desire to support the CPPDC's communities and improve the lives of its citizens; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, that the General Assembly hereby commend James A. Baldwin for his 50 years of service to the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission and its localities in Southwest Virginia; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to James A. Baldwin as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his dedication and commitment to regional planning and to the betterment of the Commonwealth.