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“HONORING RAY PETHTEL, JR.” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E871-E872 on Sept. 22, 2020.
The Department handles nearly all infrastructure crisscrossing the country. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department should be privatized to save money, reduce congestion and spur innovation.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING RAY PETHTEL, JR.
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HON. H. MORGAN GRIFFITH
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Mr. GRIFFITH. Madam Speaker, I offer these remarks in honor of Ray Pethtel, Jr. of Christiansburg, Virginia, who passed away on September 12, 2020 at the age of 83. Ray was a longtime public servant who was committed to accountability and high performance in Virginia state government.
Ray was born in Gallipolis, Ohio and graduated from high school in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. After service in the United States Air Force, he returned to Pennsylvania and earned a bachelor's and a master's degree from the Pennsylvania State University. He held multiple positions in New York state government, interrupted by a stint in Washington, D.C., as Director of Administration for the American Society for Public Administration.
The Virginia General Assembly established the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) in 1973, and Ray was hired as the first director. JLARC was created to assist the General Assembly in its oversight responsibilities by auditing state government agencies and analyzing their effectiveness. In this mission, JLARC located an ideal founding director in Ray. He assembled a strong team and performed his duties with rigor and attentiveness. When I was a member of the House of Delegates, I saw firsthand the importance of JLARC's mission and contributions; Ray's work for twelve years at JLARC helped build that institution and made it a model for other states.
After winning election in 1985, Governor Gerald Baliles appointed Ray to serve as the Commissioner of Virginia's Department of Highways and Transportation, now the Department of Transportation (VDOT). His time at JLARC had familiarized him with the Commonwealth's transportation needs. Under his leadership, which lasted through the terms of Governor Baliles and his successor Doug Wilder, VDOT completed many important projects, became more efficient, and improved its communications with the public about its work.
Ray continued to work on transportation after leaving office at Virginia Tech's Transportation Institute. He brought his knowledge of highways and transportation to the institute's research, and it now stands as one of the country's leading academic centers in the field. In this capacity, I had the opportunity to work with Ray.
For his leadership over the years, Ray won numerous awards and recognitions, including the New Century Region High Tech Leadership Award, American Society of Highway Engineers Robert E. Person P.E. Person of the Year Award, the Rotary Foundation International Paul Harris Fellow, the Virginia Tech University Transportation Fellow, the Penn State Alumni Fellow, and the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Hall of Fame.
Ray is survived by his wife, Mary Jane, his three daughters, Jennifer, Leslie and Judy, his grandchildren, Austin, Stephanie and Kathleen, and his sons-in-law, Tom, Ken and Scott. I would like to offer my condolences to them on the loss of this committed and diligent public servant.
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