Date: 2004-09-28
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 5133. sponsored by my friend and colleague. the gentleman from Virginia . designates the postal facility in Reston. Virginia. as the Martha Pennino Post Office. The entire Virginia delegation supports this legislation. and Iam pleased to join them tonight. On September 17. Virginias Fairfax County. which I represent. lost one of its most influential community leaders. Martha Pennino. I rise tonight to honor and remember Martha Virginia Pennino. a former vice chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. with whom I served for 12 years on the board. Mrs. Pennino died September 17. 2004. at Inova Fairfax Hospital at the age of 86. leaving a long and lasting legacy. Known as Mother Fairfax. Mrs. Pennino was born in 1918 in Roanoke. Virginia. and was raised in Gloucester. Massachusetts. She received a bachelors degree from Emerson College in Boston. Mrs. Pennino served three terms on the Vienna Town Council prior to being elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in November 1967. representing what was then the Centreville District. From 1968 to 1991. Mrs. Pennino was at the center of nearly every major decision made in Fairfax County. She was involved with such projects as the Dulles Toll Road. the Reston Hospital Center. South Lakes High School. the Reston Community Center. and the Reston Regional Library. Mrs. Pennino played an instrumental role in the planned community of Reston. which was taking shape when she took office and was also critical in getting Interstate 66 built inside the beltway. During her years on the Fairfax County Boar~d of Supervisors. Mrs. Pennino was deeply committed to helping the poor and homeless. She pushed for the building of the Embry Rucker shelter for the homeless. supported building lowcost housing. and buying and renovating the rundown Stonegate apartment complex. Prior to the construction of the shelter. she even provided cots in her supervisors office and opened it at night for people with nowhere else to go. Mrs. Pennino received many accolades for her work in Fairfax County. In 1985. she was awarded the Tom Bradley Regional Leadership Award from the National Association of Regional Councils. The group cited her efforts in developing the first energy policy for a metropolitan area. the regions carpool program. and a fairshare housing program. Washingtonian Magazine named her Washingtonian of the Year. Mrs. Pennino was also involved with many community boards and foundations. She was a member of the Advisory Board of the Northern Virginia Youth Services Coalition. director of the Northern Virginia Community Foundation. a commissioner on the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. and a member 6f the Board of Visitors of George Mason University. Additionally. Mrs. Pennino served as President of the Virginia Association of Counties of the Virginia Municipal League and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments for 17 years. holding posts of president and chairman. Mr. Speaker. in closing. I want to express my gratitude to Martha Virginia Pennino for her service to Fairfax County and the mark she has left on her community. She will be sorely missed. In recognition of her dedicated service. I ask that the Reston Post Office be renamed in her honor. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.