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“RECOGNIZING DAVID P. BOBZIEN ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT AS FAIRFAX COUNTY ATTORNEY” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E987-E988 on June 24, 2016.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING DAVID P. BOBZIEN ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT AS
FAIRFAX COUNTY ATTORNEY
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HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Friday, June 24, 2016
Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and commend David P. Bobzien, of Reston, on the occasion of his retirement after a distinguished career spanning three decades of public service to the residents of Fairfax County, the largest local jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the National Capital Region. For the past 23 years, David has served as the Fairfax County Attorney. Prior to that, he served four years on the Fairfax Planning Commission, representing the former Centreville District, and he also is a past chairman of the Fairfax County Goals Advisory Commission.
I had the great pleasure of working with David throughout my 14 years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, particularly during my 5 years as chairman. David was responsible for providing sound legal advice to the Board of Supervisors on any number of issues, from land use and zoning applications to civil litigation to personnel matters. He was always meticulous and thoughtful in his approach and was a trusted counselor to the board and county staff.
David also has more than a decade of service with the federal government, where he served as assistant counsel in the Office of Professional Responsibility of the Department of Justice. Prior to that, he spent four years in private practice as an associate with the Fairfax firm of Fitzgerald and Smith, and he also served four years as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Army.
Mr. Bobzien has ably represented Fairfax on a number of boards and associations and has used his passion for the law to benefit communities across the Commonwealth. He is a former president of the Virginia State Bar. He was the first government attorney ever to hold that post. He is a past chair of the Local Government Law Section of the Virginia State Bar, a past president of the Local Government Attorneys of Virginia, a past president of Lawyers Helping Lawyers, the organization that assists lawyers in Virginia suffering from substance addiction or mental illness, a past president of the Fairfax Law Foundation, and a past president of the Virginia Law Foundation.
Even as he neared retirement, David has remained active and is the current chairman of the Virginia CLE Committee of the Virginia Law Foundation and is a board member of Virginia Law Foundation, the Fairfax Law Foundation, and Lawyers Helping Lawyers. He is a Virginia State Bar delegate in the American Bar Association's House of Delegates having previously served on the ABA's Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence. He is a fellow of the Fairfax Law Foundation and the Virginia Law Foundation and a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.
His leadership and commitment to the law have been recognized by his peers. In 2012, David was selected to receive the Golden Gavel Award from the Fairfax Law Foundation's Society of Fellows. The Golden Gavel Award recognizes individuals, organizations, and businesses for their exceptional community service.
Mr. Speaker, David Bobzien's commitment to our community and the mission of local government is unparalleled, and he leaves behind a legacy of integrity that will benefit our community for generations to come. His career in public service is truly commendable and deserving of our sincere appreciation. When I was chairman of the county board, we often joked when retirement announcements like this came before the board that we should pass an ordinance to disallow such talented and dedicated professionals to leave public service. I certainly wish that was the case here. I have been privileged to call David not only a professional colleague but also a constituent and a friend. I wish David and his wife, Cathy, and the rest of their family the best of luck in his retirement, and I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in expressing our appreciation for his unswerving devotion to serving the residents of Fairfax County.
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