SR 6 — Commending the Honorable Dr. Luke E. Torian.

SESSION INTRODUCEDENROLLED 24104213D I SENATE RESOLUTION NO.

6 NE OfferedN January 19, 2024 Commending the Honorable Dr.

Tori––––––––––Torian. T Patrons––Carroll Foy, Aird, Bagby, Boysko, Craig, Deeds, DeSteph, Diggs, Durant, Ebbin, Favola,R French, Hackworth, Hashmi, Head, Jordan, Locke, Lucas, Marsden, McDougle, McPike, Mulchi, Obenshain, Peake, Pekarsky, Perry, Pillion, Reeves, Roem, Rouse, Salim, Stanley, Stuart, Sturtevant, Subramanyam, Suetterlein, Surovell, VanValkenburg and Williams Graves D –––––––––– Referred to Committee on Rules U WHEREAS, the Honorable Dr.

Agreed to by the Senate, February 8, 2024 R O WHEREAS, the Honorable Dr.

Torian, an esteemed public servant and faith leader who has spentL his career dedicated to bringing people together to make positive change through his miniEtry, leadership, and community service, retired from his position as pastor of First Mount Zion BaptistBaptisty, Church of Dumfries after 28 years on December 31, 2023;

and DL WHEREAS, since 1995, Luke Torian has served as pastor of First Mount Zion Baptist Church, for whichE his service has been recognized by countless awards and accolades, including the James Floyd Jenkins Pillar of Faith Award from Howard University in 2002, appointment to the Virginia Board of VirginiaD UnionCounseling Universityby inGovernor 2021;Mark R.

andinWarner in 2004, and an honorary doctor of divinity degree from WHEREAS,Virginia asUnion aUniversity community leader in Prince2021; William County, Luke Torian founded Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE), and his strong belief in "ministry beyond the walls" of the church has resulted in the development of ministries such as those designed to prSvide reduced-cost groceries to families, mentorship and education for pregnant teenagers and teenage6parents, and outreach to youth incarcerated in juvenile detention facilities;

and WHEREAS, Lukeas Toriana hascommunity givenleader generouslyin ofPrince hisWilliam timeCounty, toLuke theTorian communityfounded throughVirginians hiswalls" Mendof Athe House,church localhas Boysresulted andin Girlsthe Clubsdevelopment of America,ministries andsuch Actionas inthose Communitydesigned Throughto Serviceprovide Projectreduced-cost (ACTS),groceries anto organizationfamilies, designedmentorship toand alleviateeducation hunger,for homelessness,pregnant teenagers and domesticteenage violenceparents, and outreach to youth incarcerated in thejuvenile community;detention facilities;

and S WHEREAS, Luke Torian has beengiven awardedgenerously threeof Citizenhis oftime to the Yearcommunity awardsthrough andhis a6 ManMend ofA theHouse, Yearlocal awardBoys byand theGirls OmegaClubs Psiof PhiAmerica, Fraternity,and Inc.,Action and, in 2019,Community heThrough wasService awardedProject theR Founders'(ACTS), Lifetimean Achievementorganization Awarddesigned byto thealleviate fraternity'shunger, Pihomelessness, Lambdaand Lambdadomestic Chapter;violence in the community;

and WHEREAS, Luke Torian tookhas hisbeen dedicationawarded tothree communityCitizen of the Year awards and a stepMan furtherof whenthe heYear wasAchievement electedAward inby :the fraternity's Pi Lambda Lambda Chapter;

32andwarded better the livesFounders' ofLifetime allWHEREAS, VirginiansLuke throughTorian improvementstook his dedication to education,community housing,a criminalstep justice,further andwhen more;he was elected in to represent the 52nd District of the House of Delegates;

33since inthen, 2020, he becamehas theworked firsttirelessly Africanto Americanbetter tothe belives appointedof asall chairVirginians ofthrough theimprovements Houseto Appropriationseducation, /housing, 34criminal Committee;justice, and more;

andCommittee; / 35 WHEREAS, in addition to the awards he has received from organizations including the Virginia 36 Education Association, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and the Prince William County chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Luke Torian has earned Legislator of the Year awards from the Virginia Council of Chapters of the Military Officers Association of America, the Virginia 2021, respectively;

now,andcame therefore,the first African American to be itheappointed Treasurers'as Associationchair of Virginiathe House Appropriations WHEREAS, in 2019,addition 2020,to the awards he has received from organizations including the Virginia Education Association, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and RESOLVEDthe byPrince William County chapter of from the SenateVirginia Council of Virginia,Chapters Thatof the HonorableMilitary Dr.Officers Association of America, the Virginia Governmental Employees Association, and the Treasurers' Association of Virginia in 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively;

now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That the Honorable Dr.

Torian hereby be commended on the occasion of his retirement from the pastorship of First Mount Zion Baptist Church in Prince William County;

and, be ititretirement from the pastorship of First Mount Zion Baptist Church in RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Honorable Dr.