The Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations, along with the Citizen of the Year  banquet co-sponsor SAIC, hosted the 63rd annual Fairfax County Citizen of the Year Awards Banquet at the Crowne Plaza Tysons Corner hotel. The Federation and SAIC were honored to recognize Peter Murphy as the 2012 Citizen of the Year for his service to and for the citizens of Fairfax, including his lengthy tenure on the Planning Commission, where he has served as chair since 1989. Peter also has had tremendous influence in making Celebrate Fairfax, Inc. a success. He has been actively involved for many years and has served as its Vice President for Planning and Administration, Vice President for Programs, and member of the board of directors.  On a regional level, Peter was the elected chairman of the Northern Virginia Planning District Commission’s Council for Planning Commission Chairmen.

Federation President Tania Hossain served as Master of Ceremonies, with SAIC Community Relations Vice President Doug Koelemay welcoming banquet guests. Here is a copy of the banquet program.

In addition to the Citizen of the Year Award, the Federation presented Citations of Merit to Rose Chu for her volunteer efforts benefiting Fairfax and Virginia residents regarding health care (serving since 1987 as the Mason District representative on the Fairfax County Health Care Advisory Board), tax preparation assistance, and ethnic group support and inclusion (one of the co-founders in 2002 of the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia); and Phyllis Payne for her volunteer efforts benefiting Fairfax residents in areas of educational excellence (cofounder of Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal, also known as SLEEP, founding member of the Fairfax Education Coalition, as well as an at-large representative to the FCPS School Health Advisory Committee and as a member of the FCPS Transportation Task Force).

The Federation presented a Lifetime Achievement Award/Special Gratitude Award to Kate Hanley for her extensive accomplishments—as a public servant (School Board member, Supervisor, Board Chair, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Board member and Commonwealth Secretary) and as a volunteer (chairman of the Advisory Citizens Committee on the 2011 Reapportionment of the Board of Supervisors, co-chair of the county’s 2013 Bipartisan Election Process Improvement Commission, and as a member of the  Trustees of INOVA Health System, Board of Directors of Voices for Virginia's Children and the Board of Directors of HomeAid Northern Virginia)—all to the benefit of the people of Fairfax County, the region, and the Commonwealth.

The Federation also presented a Special Gratitude Award to Kyle Talente for his service on the Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation (SFDC) Board of Directors with three years as chair and on the Fairfax County Community Revitalization and Reinvestment Advisory Group as the Lee District representative.

US Representative Gerry Connolly recognized the honorees in the Congressional Record.

All photographs (C) 2013 Fairfax Federation, page date 24 May 2013