WHEREAS, William A. Stiles, Jr., longtime executive director of Wetlands Watch, a statewide nonprofit environmental group based in Norfolk, retired in 2023; and

WHEREAS, William "Skip" Stiles took the helm of Wetlands Watch in October 2006, leading the organization's involvement in sea level rise adaptation work at the community level for the past 16 years; and

WHEREAS, beginning in 1998 and prior to joining Wetlands Watch, Skip Stiles served as an independent consultant, providing editorial and public policy services to a number of clients on issues related to science, the environment, and public policy; and

WHEREAS, Skip Stiles assisted an illustrious list of organizations in the fulfillment of their missions, including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, RAND Corporation, and the National Academy of Sciences; and

WHEREAS, before working as an independent consultant, Skip Stiles served in a variety of senior staff positions over 22 years at the United States House of Representatives, including as chief of staff for Congressman George E. Brown, Jr., of California, staff director of the House Committee on Agriculture's research and environment subcommittee, and legislative director for the House Committee on Science and Technology; and

WHEREAS, Skip Stiles has shared his expertise by authoring a number of publications on sea level rise and adaptation, serving on the Virginia Commission on Climate Change in 2008, and teaching a graduate class in public policy at Old Dominion University alongside his oceanographer wife, Dr. Margaret Mulholland; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That William A. Stiles, Jr., hereby be commended for his service on the occasion of his retirement from Wetlands Watch; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to William A. Stiles, Jr., as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's admiration for his accomplished career and best wishes for a happy and fulfilling retirement.