HR 268 — Commending Rick Nealis.

SESSION INTRODUCEDENROLLED 23100385D I HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.

268 NE OfferedN January 20, 2023 Commending Rick Nealis.

––––––––––Agreed Tto Patron––Koryby the House of Delegates, January 30, 2023 R ––––––––––O WHEREAS, in January 2023, Rick Nealis retired as race director of the Marine Corps Marathon OL after 30 years of exceptional service to both the United States Marine Corps and the running coDmunity as a whole;

andof exceptional service to both the United States Marine Corps and the running community WHEREAS, Rick Nealis joined the United States Marine Corps, arriving in Quantico in 1972, and L was on active duty as a supply officer, when he was given a logistical assignment as race director of thE MarWHEREAS, Rick Nealis retired from the military two years later, and while the position of race D director was typically a two-year rotation, the Marine Corps Marathonchanged inthe 1993;position to a permanent one and rehired him, making him the first civilian director of the race;

andicer,and whenWHEREAS, hean wasavid givenrunner with a logisticalpersonal assignmentbest astime race direcCor of the3:09 WHEREAS, Rick Nealis retired from the military two years later, and while the position of raEe director was typically a two-yearprevious rotation, the Marine Corps changedpotential thefor positiongrowth; to a permanent one and rehired him, making him the first civilian director of the race;

and Da WHEREAS,natural anfit avidto runnerlead withthe aevent personaland bestquickly timerecognized ofits 3:09benefits fromand aWHEREAS, previousRick MarineNealis Corpshelped Marathon,bring Rickprominence Nealisto wasthe aMarine naturalCorps fitMarathon after persuading Oprah Winfrey to leadrun the eventrace andin quickly1994 recognizedand itsworking benefitswith andthe potentialtorch relay for growth;the 1996 Summer Olympics H in Atlanta;

and Oprah2 Winfreynation's tocapital runwith the racestart and finish in 1994Arlington, has expanded to include an event series of more8 than a dozen races, including 10k and working50k withraces theon torchmarathon relayweekend, forseveral trail races, a half R marathon, a turkey trot, and a 17.75k race that commemorates the 1996founding Summerof Olympicsthe inUnited Atlanta;States Marine Corps;

and WHEREAS, under Rick Nealis' leadership, the Marine Corps Marathon, which is hosted in the nation's capital with the start and finish in Arlington, has expanded to include an event serieH of more than a dozen races, including 10k and 50k races on marathon weekend, several trail races, a hal2 marathon, a turkey trot, and a 17.75k race that commemorates the founding of the United States 8arine Corps;

he became a nationally recognized leader in race runningrunWHEREAS, andduring generouslythe providedCOVID-19 hispandemic, wiseRick insightsNealis developed a virtual race to organizersallow forrunners racesto participate from the safety of everytheir size;own homes or neighborhoods or on local trails and courses to allow for social distancing;

and WHEREAS,triumphant duringreturn the COVID-19 pandemic, Rick Nealis developed a virtual race to allowan runnersin-person toevent participateafter fromtwo theyears safety of theirlimitations owndue homes or neighborhoods or on local trails and courses to :the pandemic;

35now, allWHEREAS,therefore, Rickbe Nealisit oversawRESOLVED hisby finalthe MarineHouse Corpsof MarathonDelegates, onThat OctoberRick 30,Nealis 2022,hereby abe 36commended triumphanton returnthe tooccasion anof in-personhis eventretirement afteras tworace yearsdirector of limitationsthe dueMarine toCorps theMarathon pandemic;in 2023;

now,and, /be 37it therefore,for bepresentation itto /Rick 38Nealis RESOLVEDas byan expression of the House of Delegates,Delegates' Thatadmiration Rickfor Nealishisn herebyachievements bein commendedservice onto the occasionUnited ofStates 39Marine hisCorps retirementand asthe race directorrunning ofcommunity throughout the MarineCommonwealth Corpsand Marathonthe innation. 2023;

and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Rick Nealis as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for his the Commonwealth and the nation.nited States Marine Corps and the race running community throughout