E196 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks February 17, 2006 Through the years, he directed offices of A driven leader during his time with the Fair- dered county flags flown at half-staff yester- Catholic Charities in Springfield and Dayton, fax County Board, Jack was the guiding force day. ‘‘He was a political adversary, but he OH before directing the Archdiocesan Offices in setting the firm foundation for a growing and would do it more often than not with a cer- tain twinkle in his eye. It was more the love of Catholic Charities. On June 2, 1984 Pope developing Fairfax County. His leadership of the fight than the substance of the mo- John Paul II appointed Bishop Garland to the brought us the , Inter- ment.’’ Episcopacy and then, on July 25, 1984, or- state 66 inside the Beltway and the Dulles Ac- Herrity was the fourth person to serve as dained him Titular Bishop of Garriana and cess Road. The Virginia General Assembly countywide chairman but the first to hold Auxiliary to the Archbishop of Cincinnati. At aptly named the Fairfax County Parkway in his the job for a full term, let alone three. He de- the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, he directed the honor in 1995. fined the role as a quasi-mayoral position Archdiocesan Departments of Community After attending Georgetown University as an even though it has no real executive power. undergraduate and as a law student, Jack He played a major role in building what Services and Pastoral Services. was commonly referred to as the economic It was not until November 11, 1992 that formed Jack Herrity and Associates, a pension engine of Virginia. By fostering a super- Marquette, MI was blessed with the wisdom planning and insurance business. But public heated business environment, he helped lure and guidance of James H. Garland when he service was Jack’s forte. He quickly became Fortune 500 companies such as what was was installed as the eleventh Bishop of the Di- engaged in northern Virginia politics, serving then known as the Mobil Corp. to Fairfax ocese of Marquette. Since that time, Bishop on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and convert a suburban crossroads called Garland has served on the Administrative from 1971 to 1987. He was elected chairman Tysons Corner into a commercial center Committee and Board of the United States of the board in 1975 and served three terms. larger than downtown Miami. ‘‘Instead of jobs going out of the county,’’ Conference of Catholic Bishops. From Novem- He recognized the potential of Fairfax County Herrity wanted jobs to stay in the county, ber 1992 to November 1995 he also served as to become the largest jurisdiction in the Wash- Northern Virginia developer John T. ‘‘Til’’ Chairman of the United States Catholic Con- ington area and helped develop the once Hazel said. ference Committee for the Campaign for sleepy rural crossroads, Tysons Corner, into During this period of growth under Human Development. From November 1995 the thriving commercial district it is today. Herrity, more than 1,000 people moved into to November 1997 he served as the Chair- Jack Herrity carved a place which is now Fairfax every month. The county grew into person of the Bishops of the Region VI of the and will forever be unmatched in Fairfax the largest jurisdiction in the Washington County history. We honor and remember Jack area. From Herrity’s first election as chair- National Conference of Catholic Bishops. man in 1975 to his ouster in 1987, the county’s During his time as Bishop of the Diocese of for his countless accomplishments and unwav- population jumped by more than a third, Marquette, Bishop Garland also began the ering dedication to the people of Fairfax Coun- from 554,500 to 746,600—surpassing most U.S. Legacy of Faith to raise $10 million toward the ty. We insert for the RECORD a Washington cities and even several states. Today, more Diocese’s endowment campaign. To accom- Post obituary from February 2. Jack will be than 1 million people live in Fairfax. plish such a feat, he recruited the Bishop’s deeply missed by the people of Fairfax Coun- He was an advocate for improving the Ambassadors to help achieve the objective of ty, and at home by his family. county’s road network and pushed to widen allowing future generations the opportunity to [From the Washington Post, Feb. 2, 2006] inside the . He first opposed, then campaigned hard for a experience all that the tradition of faith has to (By Lisa Rein and Peter Baker) major new road cutting through the county’s offer. Among the many wonderful causes this John F. ‘‘Jack’’ Herrity, the former chair- midsection. campaign has aided, it has benefited Catholic man of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors who The General Assembly named the Fairfax schools and the Upper Peninsula Catholic So- ushered in a development boom that trans- County Parkway in his honor in 1995. cial Services. My wife Laurie and I have formed the county from sleepy bedroom It was his quick-witted, never-say-die proudly served as Ambassadors humbly as- community to suburban colossus, died yes- brand of politics that earned him a loyal fol- terday of heart failure. He was 74. sisting with this valiant effort. lowing during a crucial transition period in Herrity, whose scrappy battle with a weak Fairfax history. Throughout his nearly 50 years of ministry, heart first endeared him to Fairfax voters in With his burly build, balding pate and Bishop Garland has touched many lives and the 1970s, succumbed to an aortic aneurysm ever-present U.S. flag lapel pin, Herrity be- bestowed many lessons of faith. Although at , where he was ad- came a familiar figure in political and civic Bishop Garland is retiring, he will continue to mitted two weeks ago with chest pain. He circles. Known simply as Jack, he criss- help people and serve his faith. He plans to had a heart transplant 12 years ago. crossed the 399-square-mile county almost stay in Marquette to remain involved with the In his heyday, Herrity dominated Northern every day in search of any gathering of two Virginia politics as few others have, com- or more people, often driving so fast that he church. When called upon, he looks forward to manding attention with his pugnacious style substituting for local priests and celebrating collected a glove compartment full of speed- and unabashedly pro-growth policies. His ing tickets that became legendary. confirmations. was a classic rise-and-fall political story— Throughout his tenure, Herrity was noto- Mr. Speaker, I ask the U.S. House of Rep- from his landslide victories as the Fairfax rious for his penchant for the outrageous, resentatives to join me in thanking Bishop economy soared to unprecedented heights to shoot-from-the-hip statements. James H. Garland for his service to the Dio- his crushing defeat in 1987 when the on- When county officials were thinking about cese of Marquette, to the Holy Catholic slaught of new cars finally overwhelmed building a major government center, he sug- Church and his tireless dedication to the value county roads and voter patience. gested that they instead ‘‘build a circus tent Herrity was engaged in county affairs until of education and involvement in his faith com- and put the bureaucrats in it.’’ He called the end. From his hospital bed last week, he Metro, which opened while he was in office, munity. Beyond the incredible credentials, was asking former aides to help run his like- a ‘‘Mighty Expensive Transportation Rip leadership roles and accomplishments that ly campaign for board chairman next year, a Off.’’ span his lifetime, Bishop Garland has shown race he lost in 2003 in a Republican primary. His tart tongue extended to his rivals as unwavering commitment to the people he has He was busy fighting plans to extend Metro- well. In 1987, he derided Moore as a gadfly served. He has truly done God’s work through rail to Dulles International Airport, saying with so little support on the board that, if his teachings and as a role model for parish- the expense could not be justified. And, in an she made the motion, she ‘‘couldn’t get a ioners. about-face some local politicians saw as cyn- second to go to the bathroom.’’ Four years ical, he had joined in recent months with later, he dismissed Rep. Thomas M. Davis III f grass-roots activists—and the woman who (R-Fairfax) as a ‘‘left-wing liberal’’ whose REMEMBERING JACK HERRITY OF defeated him, slow-growth Democrat Audrey support from a taxpayers group was ‘‘like FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA Moore—to fight dense development planned the chicken endorsing the fox.’’ His relation- for the county’s last slivers of open space. He ships with both had softened in recent years. was at meetings almost every night. Herrity saw no reason to apologize for his HON. FRANK R. WOLF ‘‘To Jack’s credit, if he had a difference of close alliance with the region’s powerful de- OF VIRGINIA opinion [with the county’s leadership], he velopers, who he said had helped create a IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES never sat on his hands,’’ Eric Lundberg, the quality of life envied across the country— Fairfax GOP chairman, said. ‘‘He was willing high-paying jobs, good schools, low crime. Thursday, February 16, 2006 to engage in the battle.’’ But his ties to the real estate industry be- Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for Herrity could be seen most mornings in a came his political undoing. His 1986 conviction on a misdemeanor con- Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia and I to remember floppy wide-brimmed hat walking his black flict-of-interest charge for failing to disclose the Honorable John F. ‘‘Jack’’ Herrity, former Labrador retriever, Raven, on the W & OD trail near his Vienna home, where he lived a relationship with a builder only cemented chairman of the Fairfax County, Virginia, with his wife, JoAnn Spevacek-Herrity. They Herrity’s public image as a handmaiden of Board of Supervisors, who passed away on married in November. developers. By then, voter support for the February 1. If anyone is worthy of the title ‘‘Mr. ‘‘He’s a piece of our history,’’ said Board breakneck pace of construction had dis- Fairfax,’’ Jack Herrity is that person. Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D), who or- solved amid maddening traffic gridlock. He

VerDate Aug 31 2005 06:39 Feb 17, 2006 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A16FE8.077 E17FEPT1 jcorcoran on PROD1PC62 with REMARKS February 17, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E197 suffered a major indignity in 1987 when he In June 1981, Mr. Reagan was assigned to daughter on February 10, 2005. Ella Grace lost his prized office to Moore by more than the former FHWA Region One Office in Al- has been the joy of her grandmother’s eyes. 21 percentage points. bany, New York, where he held several posi- Seth was born April 18, 1982. He graduated He never fully accepted defeat. Years later, his address in his telephone book was still tions, including Director of Planning, Director from Northwest Missouri State University in the county government headquarters. of Planning and Program Development, and 2004. While attending NWMSU he was in ‘‘This was Jack’s life,’’ Davis recalled. Deputy Regional Administrator. As the Deputy, Army ROTC and received the George C. Mar- ‘‘When he was defeated he couldn’t move on he was responsible for all aspects of the Fed- shall ROTC award in 2004. Following gradua- to something else. He was a doer. He could eral-aid Program in the eight Northeast States, tion, Seth became a U.S. Army Ranger and is never sit still.’’ the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the currently a 2nd Lieutenant stationed at Fort The comeback Herrity methodically plot- Territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Then from Drum, NY where he is awaiting deployment to ted collapsed in 1991 when he lost the GOP October 1994 to July 1995, Dan became the Iraq sometime this year. nomination for chairman to Davis, his one- time protege, who also handpicked a Repub- Acting Regional Administrator. Marci was Vice President of City State Bank lican to run against him in the 2003 primary On February 4, 1996, Dan Reagan was ap- in Ogden, IA where she was employed for 26 for board chairman. Since his departure from pointed the Federal Highway Administration’s years. She was also a real estate loan officer. elective politics, Herrity also failed at bids Division Administrator for Texas. With a staff In addition, Marci served as treasurer for the for Virginia governor in 2001 and county GOP of 50 employees, he was responsible for deliv- Ogden Scholarship & Loan Foundation, which chairman in 2004. ering the second largest Federal-aid Program is a private loan foundation providing over Born in Arlington, reared in Prince in the Nation and implementing FHWA’s Na- one-half million dollars in scholarships to George’s County and educated at St. Antho- tional Strategic Plan throughout Texas, in part- Ogden community members. ny’s High School in the District (now All Saints High School), John Frances Herrity nership with the Texas Department of Trans- Mr. Speaker, Marci was a role model and was the product of a working-class Irish portation. While serving as the Texas Division mentor for many children and adults in Ogden. Catholic family of elevator mechanics, union Administrator, Dan Reagan established the She served as an advisor, friend, and pillar of leaders and loyal Democrats. He spent much FHWA’s first International Programs Engineer support to people of all ages. She was loved of his youth hustling on the basketball position for the entire Texas border, created a for her kind spirit, her strong sense of patriot- court. forum known as the Texas Environmental Re- ism, and her ability to clearly live her life After high school and a tour in the Coast source Stewards that brings together the lead- based on the principles of respect and dignity Guard, the rambunctious young Herrity set- ers of state and federal agencies impacting for others. Marci worked side-by-side with tled down to his studies at Georgetown Uni- versity, where he earned undergraduate and transportation to resolve issues in advance, Brian to build one of the most successful law degrees and met his first wife. and paved the way for such landmark public- wrestling programs in the state of Iowa. She After marrying in 1958, he eventually went private partnerships as TTC–35, TTC–69, and worked hand-in-hand with Ogden parents and into the insurance business, where he worked the Central Texas Turnpike Project. athletes to promote the true spirit of athletics as a consultant after his return to the pri- Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to honor and and helped shape many young athletes into vate sector. thank Dan Reagan and his family, on the oc- responsible American citizens. It did not take long for Herrity to jump casion of his retirement, for a lifelong profes- Education held a high priority in her life and into local civic affairs. He soon formed a sional commitment of service to the traveling she encouraged many young men and women homeowners association and became the local Democratic precinct captain. But like public. I wish Dan Reagan much happiness to further their education and make a dif- many Democrats in his era, he became alien- and good health in the years to come. ference in the world. A scholarship has been ated with his party’s lurch to the left and f established in her honor for one young woman switched to the GOP just in time for his first each year through the Board of Directors at run for office—that of Springfield District PAYING TRIBUTE TO MARCI City State Bank. Marci was an active member supervisor in 1971. BERKA REIMERS of Zion Lutheran Church in Ogden, IA, where f she taught Sunday school and served on nu- HON. JON C. PORTER merous church committees throughout her life. HONORING CURTIS DANIEL ‘‘DAN’’ OF NEVADA Her faith in God was remarkable and she REAGAN IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES demonstrated a life example for all those she Thursday, February 16, 2006 touched. HON. JOHN ABNEY CULBERSON Mr. Speaker, as one of two boys, I always OF TEXAS Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to considered Marci the little sister I never had, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES honor the life of my good friend, Marci Berka and regarded her as a member of my own Reimers. family. Thursday, February 16, 2006 Marci was born on May 21, 1957 at f Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today Crawford County Hospital in Denison, IA. She to honor Curtis Daniel ‘‘Dan’’ Reagan of Aus- was the second of four children born to Marvin HONORING ARMY SPEC. SERGIO tin, Texas. Dan Reagan has been a champion and Donna Berka. Marci had two sisters and ANTONIO MERCEDES SAEZ for quality transportation and his leadership, a brother named Randy, who I am proud to knowledge, and vision have helped improve call my best friend. HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL the safety and reliability of the Texas transpor- After graduating from Humboldt Community OF NEW YORK tation system. High School in 1975, Marci married Brian IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Dan Reagan began his career with the Fed- Reimers on November 29 of that same year. eral Highway Administration (FHWA), then the As a young couple they lived in Maryville, MO Thursday, February 16, 2006 Bureau of Public Roads (BPR), on June 12, while Brian attended Northwest Missouri State Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 1967 following his graduation from the Univer- University. Marci worked in retail while Brian honor Army Spec. Sergio Antonio Mercedes sity of Texas at Austin. He spent almost 3 was in college. In 1977, Brian accepted a Saez, a 23 year old soldier who lost his life on years in the BPR Highway Engineer Training teaching position at Riceville, IA and they lived Sunday, February 5th in Iraq. He leaves be- Program, learning all phases of organizational in that community for two years. In 1979 they hind a grieving family and a legacy of service responsibility and honing his engineering and moved to Ogden, IA where Marci was instru- and sacrifice of which our community is proud. management skills in Point Reyes, California; mental in helping her husband build a first- Mr. Mercedes, born in Puerto Rico, split his Olympia, Washington; Payson, Arizona; Wash- time wrestling program for that community. childhood between New York’s Washington ington, D.C.; Tallahassee, Florida; Ft. Worth, Brian has been a teacher, coach, and athletic Heights and his parents’ native Dominican Re- Texas; and Austin, Texas. Mr. Reagan then director at Ogden High School for 26 years, public before enlisting in the military three held numerous positions in Baton Rouge, Lou- and he will be inducted in the Iowa High years ago. He was serving his second tour of isiana, and Montgomery, Alabama, including School Wrestling Hall of Fame this month. duty, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd In- Assistant Area Engineer, Area Engineer, As- Marci and Brian were blessed with two sons, fantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, sistant Planning Engineer, Planning Engineer, Luke and Seth. 101st Airborne Division, when the vehicle that and Research Engineer. While stationed in Luke was born November 7, 1978. He grad- he was riding accidentally rolled over in a Baton Rouge, Mr. Reagan attended graduate uated from Simpson College in Indianola, IA. canal. school at Louisiana State University, taking He and his wife Kara, who live in Waukee, IA, Like so many of our young people, Mr. Mer- classes in Transportation Engineering. gave Marci and Brian the gift of a grand- cedes was full of hopes and dreams, not only

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