WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia has the long and proud tradition of developing and producing many talented and devoted leaders and public service providers, including eight United States Presidents who have called Virginia home; and

WHEREAS, this tradition of outstanding public service is advanced every day by over 726,000 federal, state, and local public servants who work diligently to improve the quality of life for all Virginians; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s state employees dedicate much of their time, talent, and energy to serving our Commonwealth as educators, health care providers, law enforcement and correctional officers, employees of various federal, state, and local government agencies and political leaders; and

WHEREAS, Virginia public service employees help educate our children, care for crime victims, administer justice, rehabilitate and counsel people in need, preserve public safety and the health of our citizens, maintain our highways, schools, and other infrastructure, protect citizens’ rights, care for less fortunate members of society, and handle the multitude of other essential duties the public entrusts to them; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s state employees advance the quality of life of all Virginians by being positive role models, performing their jobs with professionalism and integrity, and supporting transformational actions that make government services more accessible and responsive to the needs of our citizens; and

WHEREAS, many of Virginia’s public service employees volunteer in their communities and spend much of their free time participating in volunteer work and civic service projects; and

WHEREAS, it is appropriate to designate a Commonwealth of Virginia State Public Service Recognition Week to continue to honor and recognize all public employees and remind the citizens of the Commonwealth of the importance of supporting those who are committed to serving them every day;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize May 5-11, 2024, as VIRGINIA PUBLIC SERVICE WEEK in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.