2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 280
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Gerald Edward Connolly.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 12, 2026
Agreed to by the Senate, March 13, 2026
WHEREAS, the Honorable Gerald Edward Connolly, a dedicated public servant and visionary leader, died on May 21, 2025; and
WHEREAS, Gerald Connolly was born in Boston, attended Maryknoll College Seminary in Illinois, and received his master of public administration degree from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government; and
WHEREAS, Gerald Connolly moved to Washington, D.C., in 1972 with the American Freedom from Hunger Foundation, where he rose from education director to executive director while also serving as executive director of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants; and
WHEREAS, Gerald Connolly served the residents of Fairfax County with extraordinary vision and compassion on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, including 13 years as the Providence District supervisor and five years as chair; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Gerald Connolly fiercely advocated for those he represented, from the most vulnerable to federal workers and contractors, as well as for national and international business interests as vice-chair of the Economic Advisory Committee; and