2026 SESSION

ENROLLED

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 273

Commending Colonel Donald Caldwell, USAR.

Agreed to by the Senate, March 11, 2026

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 12, 2026

WHEREAS, Colonel Donald Caldwell, USAR, a distinguished prosecutor who served as the Commonwealth's Attorney of the City of Roanoke for 46 years, retired on December 31, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Donald “Don” Caldwell earned a bachelor's degree from Virginia Military Institute and served the nation honorably for 21 years, achieving the rank of colonel in the United States Army Reserve; and

WHEREAS, after obtaining a law degree at the University of Richmond, Don Caldwell briefly served as an assistant public defender in Roanoke beginning in 1976 before becoming an assistant Commonwealth's Attorney on January 1, 1978; and

WHEREAS, Don Caldwell was initially appointed to complete the unexpired term of his predecessor starting on October 1, 1979, then was elected 11 consecutive times to serve as the Commonwealth's Attorney of the City of Roanoke; and

WHEREAS, at the time of his retirement, Don Caldwell was the longest-serving active Commonwealth's Attorney and the longest-serving chief prosecutor in the history of the Star City; and

WHEREAS, over the past half-century, Don Caldwell guided the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office through various advancements in technology that profoundly impacted methods of evidence gathering and prosecution; and

WHEREAS, Don Caldwell was a generous and devoted mentor who held his attorneys to a high standard while working tirelessly to encourage their growth and success; and

WHEREAS, Don Caldwell supported prosecutors across the Commonwealth by serving as president of the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys and by spearheading the creation of the Commonwealth's Attorneys Training Fund; and

WHEREAS, Don Caldwell was widely respected and very frequently appointed as a special prosecutor for some of the most challenging cases across the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, with compassion and an unwavering commitment to justice, Don Caldwell has admirably led the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office of the City of Roanoke, leaving a legacy that will inspire others for years to come; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Colonel Donald Caldwell, USAR, longtime Commonwealth's Attorney of the City of Roanoke, for his service on the occasion of his retirement; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Colonel Donald Caldwell, USAR, as an expression of the General Assembly's high regard for his contributions to the City of Roanoke and the Commonwealth and best wishes for a joyful and fulfilling retirement.