2025 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 855
Commending Marjorie Mayfield Jackson.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 21, 2025
WHEREAS, Marjorie Mayfield Jackson, an esteemed environmental advocate and founder and executive director of the Elizabeth River Project, retired in 2025; and
WHEREAS, more than three decades ago, Marjorie Mayfield Jackson was inspired to resign from her journalism career and devote herself entirely to the task of cleaning and restoring the Elizabeth River in Hampton Roads; and
WHEREAS, shortly thereafter, Marjorie Mayfield Jackson founded the Elizabeth River Project, a nonprofit organization that has spearheaded a number of initiatives to benefit the Elizabeth River, including cleanups and educational programs, and that has been a model of environmental restoration; and
WHEREAS, Marjorie Mayfield Jackson established the Elizabeth River Project with a mission to restore the Elizabeth River through equitable collaboration with diverse communities, businesses, and governments and has consistently sought collaboration and consensus in pursuing the organization's objectives; and
WHEREAS, since Marjorie Mayfield Jackson began her quest to save the Elizabeth River, the waterway has seen tremendous improvement, including a reduction in bacteria, an increase in the amount of oxygen in the water, the restoration of oyster reefs and wetlands, and the return of wildlife; and
WHEREAS, during Marjorie Mayfield Jackson's tenure, the Elizabeth River Project's accomplishments have included the Ryan Resilience Lab, the River Star Homes initiative, the River Star Business program, the Dominion Energy Learning Barge, and the Paradise Creek Nature Park, all of which have enhanced the Elizabeth River for the benefit of Hampton Roads residents and visitors; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Marjorie Mayfield Jackson hereby be commended on the occasion of her retirement; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Marjorie Mayfield Jackson as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for her contributions to Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth.