HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 529 Offered March 6, 2006 Commending McKinley L. Price. ----------
Patrons-- BaCote, Ward, Barlow, Brink, Bulova, Cox, Dance, Gear, Hall, Hamilton, Howell, A.T., Howell, W.J., Hull, Joannou, Johnson, Jones, D.C., Jones, S.C., Landes, Lewis, Marsden, McClellan, McEachin, Melvin, Miller, Moran, Morgan, Oder, Phillips, Plum, Poisson, Rapp, Scott, J.M., Shannon, Sickles, Spruill, Tata, Toscano, Tyler, Wardrup and Watts; Senators: Locke, Lambert, Lucas, Marsh and Miller
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WHEREAS, McKinley L. Price of Newport News is recognized as the Daily Press 2005 Citizen of the Year; and

WHEREAS, a revered and respected professional, McKinley Price has maintained a private practice of dentistry for 28 years in Newport News, was honored as Dentist of the Year in 1983 by the Old Dominion Dental Society, and in 1989  was the first African-American dentist to be elected president of the Peninsula Dental Society; and

WHEREAS, a champion in the fight against prejudice and discrimination, McKinley Price has worked diligently with People to People, a citizen advocacy group formed in 1992 to protect the rights of all of the citizens of Newport News and to help close the racial divide within the community; and

WHEREAS, McKinley Price is committed to tackling the city’s most difficult problems, including equality in education, economic growth, race relations, and gang violence; and

WHEREAS, dedicated to improving the quality of life for all Newport News residents, McKinley Price was instrumental in the creation of Unitown, a program of the National Conference for Community Justice (NCCJ), which sponsors a retreat for 50 high school students on Virginia’s Eastern Shore where the issues of acceptance, exclusion, and community are considered with the guidance of trained facilitators; and

WHEREAS, McKinley Price is a board member and former chairman of the NCCJ, which fosters understanding and eradication of intolerance, and is a member and vice-chairman of An Achievable Dream, which is an outstanding  summer enrichment program for young people; and

WHEREAS, an articulate communicator and visionary leader, McKinley Price’s greatest gift is his ability to solve problems and negotiate compromise between disparate groups within the community; and

WHEREAS, over the years, McKinley Price has served as a member of the board and in key leadership positions of numerous civic organizations on the state and local level, including the Riverside Health System Foundation, Thomas Nelson Community College, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Peninsula Industrial Finance Corporation, the Peninsula Ports Authority, the Virginia Peninsula Economic Development Council, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Commission; and

WHEREAS, McKinley Price served two terms on the Newport News School Board and was the board’s chairman from 1990 to 1992; and

WHEREAS, McKinley Price is the founder of the Newport News chapter of 100 Black Men of America and an active supporter and leader in the Boys and Girls Club; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend and congratulate McKinley L. Price for his well-deserved recognition as the Daily Press 2005 Citizen of the Year; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to McKinley L. Price as an expression of the General Assembly’s appreciation of his numerous achievements and gratitude for his dedication to the citizens of Newport News.