2026 SPECIAL SESSION I

ENROLLED

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2044

Commending Joyce Kistner.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, April 23, 2026

WHEREAS, Joyce Kistner, an esteemed educator, public servant, local historian, and longtime member of the Republican Party of Virginia, has greatly served the Bristol community through various endeavors; and

WHEREAS, Joyce Kistner was a fourth-grade educator at Stonewall Jackson Elementary School in Bristol for many years, working tirelessly to help her students achieve success both in and out of the classroom; and

WHEREAS, Joyce Kistner made history in 1992 when she became the first woman in Southwest Virginia to be elected by the people to serve on a school board, and as a member of the Bristol Public School Board, she devoted herself to the well-being of Bristol's children and families; and

WHEREAS, through her work with the Bristol Historical Association and as the author of Tracking Bristol VA.-Tenn. History, Joyce Kistner has enabled many young people to learn more about the history of their city and home; and

WHEREAS, for 66 years, Joyce Kistner has proudly supported the Republican Party of Virginia, including by serving as vice president of the Bristol Virginia Republican Committee, as a poll worker for numerous elections, and by hosting several Republican leaders and candidates over the years both at her home and throughout Bristol; and

WHEREAS, Joyce Kistner is an accomplished artist whose work has been featured in the Bristol Public Library Gallery and who received an achievement award from the Arts Alliance Mountain Empire in 2025; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of her service to the community, Joyce Kistner was presented a YWCA Tribute to Women award in 1997; and

WHEREAS, through her advocacy, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the communities she serves, Joyce Kistner has helped to make Bristol a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Joyce Kistner hereby be commended for her legacy of service in support of the community of Bristol; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Joyce Kistner as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for her contributions to Bristol and the Commonwealth.