2026 SESSION

ENROLLED

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 235

Celebrating the life of Catherine Agnes Martin Hudgins.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 9, 2026

Agreed to by the Senate, March 11, 2026

WHEREAS, Catherine Agnes Martin Hudgins, a pioneering public servant and active and beloved member of the Fairfax County community, whose dedicated service made an impact on countless lives, died on May 24, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Catherine “Cathy” Agnes Martin Hudgins earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas before moving to Washington, D.C., and then Reston, and later obtaining a master's degree in public administration from George Mason University; and

WHEREAS, Cathy Hudgins worked for 12 years as a programmer, consultant, and analyst at AT&T before embarking on her career in public service as a committee woman with the Virginia Democratic National Committee; and

WHEREAS, after serving as secretary of the Fairfax County Electoral Board and chief of staff for Katherine Hanley when she was chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Cathy Hudgins was elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors herself in 1999, making history as the first female African American to serve on the board; and

WHEREAS, over her 20-year tenure as the Hunter Mill District representative on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Cathy Hudgins was a tireless advocate for transit solutions, affordable housing, and sustainable community development; and

WHEREAS, in her capacity as a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Cathy Hudgins served as chair of the board's Health and Human Services Committee and Housing Committee and represented Fairfax County as a member of several regional organizations, including the Virginia Association of Counties and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments; and

WHEREAS, as a principal director for the Commonwealth on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's Board of Directors, Cathy Hudgins played an instrumental role in bringing the Silver Line Metrorail service to Tysons Corner, Reston, and Dulles International Airport; and

WHEREAS, Cathy Hudgins received many accolades in recognition of her service, including the Katherine Hanley Public Service Award from Leadership Fairfax in 2025, and the Cathy Hudgins Community Center at Southgate in Reston was named in her honor in 2021; and

WHEREAS, Cathy Hudgins will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by her children, Michael and Tony, and their families; her sister, Delores; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Catherine Agnes Martin Hudgins, a treasured member of the Fairfax County community whose leadership, integrity, and service will forever inspire all who knew her; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Catherine Agnes Martin Hudgins as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for her memory.