2025 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 677
Commending James Holland.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 18, 2025
Agreed to by the Senate, February 20, 2025
WHEREAS, James Holland, an Army veteran, accomplished accountant, and faithful public servant, has served on the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors since 2008; and
WHEREAS, born in Gates, North Carolina, James Jim Holland served in the United States Army and was stationed at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, from June 1972 until December 1974; he volunteered for the United States Army Airborne School and served in the XVIII Airborne Corps, 118th Military Police Company as a paratrooper and military policeman during the de-escalation of the Vietnam War; and
WHEREAS, Jim Holland earned a bachelor's degree with honors from Fayetteville State University in 1979 and received a master's degree in business administration in 1980 from North Carolina Central University; and
WHEREAS, Jim Holland has been a resident of Chesterfield County since 1987; he retired from Philip Morris USA and Philip Morris International, and he is a certified public accountant (CPA) who served as president of Holland and Company, CPA, in Chesterfield County; and
WHEREAS, Jim Holland has inspired numerous young men and women as an accounting professor and CPA advisor at Virginia Commonwealth University; and
WHEREAS, Jim Holland was elected to represent the Dale District on the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors and has proudly served his constituents for 17 years; during that time, he served as board chair in 2014, 2021, and 2024, and served as board vice chair in 2010 and 2022; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure on the board, Jim Holland was part of some of Chesterfield County's most notable successes, including the LEGO Group's decision to establish its United States manufacturing plant in Chesterfield, a multi-billion dollar investment by Commonwealth Fusion Systems to build the world's first grid-scale commercial fusion power plant in Chesterfield, and the successful navigation of the many challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic impacts while transitioning many local government services and programs to be delivered virtually; and
WHEREAS, Jim Holland oversaw the passage of bond referendums in 2013 and 2022 and participated in two complex decennial redistricting processes, serving as board chair during the 2021 redistricting process; and
WHEREAS, Jim Holland was part of some of Dale District's most notable successes, including the replacement of Beulah Elementary School and Falling Creek Middle School, the approval of Courthouse Landing, and the adaptive reuse of the old Beulah Elementary School as the Beulah Recreation Center; and
WHEREAS, Jim Holland's devotion to his community has led him to pursue various civic endeavors and to become involved with several local organizations, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Virginia Society of CPAs, the Chesterfield County Drug and Alcohol Abuse Task Force, the Chesterfield County Council of PTAs, the Jacobs Athletic Association, the Manchester High School Band Boosters Club, and the Supervisory Committee of the Virginia Credit Union; and
WHEREAS, Jim Holland, as a longtime and closely engaged member of First Baptist Church Centralia, also serves faithfully as a deacon and Sunday school teacher; and
WHEREAS, Jim Holland was appointed to serve on the Richmond Region Tourism Board from January 2008 through December 2024; and
WHEREAS, Jim Holland was appointed to serve on the Chesterfield Budget and Audit Committee, later renamed the Chesterfield Audit and Finance Committee, from January 2008 through December 2015 and was reappointed in January 2020 and currently serves; and
WHEREAS, Jim Holland was appointed by Governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine to the Board of Commissioners for the Virginia Public School Authority from 2002 to 2008, including service as chair in 2008; and
WHEREAS, Jim Holland was appointed by Governors Bob McDonnell and Terry McAuliffe to serve on the Virginia Board of Accountancy from 2013 to 2017 and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy's Ethics and Continuing Professional Education Committees from 2014 to 2017; and
WHEREAS, Jim Holland was appointed by Governor Ralph Northam to serve on the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority in 2021 and was reappointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin in 2023 to serve as treasurer; and
WHEREAS, by demonstrating an unwavering commitment to enhancing the lives of others, Jim Holland has embodied the ideals of public service and has worked tirelessly and effectively to make Chesterfield County a wonderful place to live, learn, work, and play; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend James Holland for his service as a member of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors and achievements in other leadership roles; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to James Holland as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his contributions to Chesterfield County and the Commonwealth.