Cox Receives Outstanding Service Award from Virginia MOAA
–Award Presented at the Southside Virginia Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America’s (MOAA) Quarterly Meeting–
PETERSBURG – At the quarterly meeting of the Southside Virginia Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), Delegate M. Kirkland “Kirk” Cox (R – Colonial Heights), House Majority Leader, was presented with the Virginia Council of Chapter’s Outstanding Service Award.
“I want to thank you for this award and for your efforts with the Virginia Council of Chapters in supporting the Joint Leadership Council representing 23 Veterans Service Organizations,” said Cox. “The Joint Leadership Council has been key to our success in passing veterans related legislation.”
MOAA’s Virginia Council of Chapters, comprised of chapter leaders from the eighteen local MOAA Chapters in Virginia, voted unanimously in favor of awarding this special recognition during its July meeting. The award was given to Cox for his years of dedicated support for veterans’ issues in the House of Delegates. There are over 48,000 MOAA members in Virginia.
In his remarks, Cox highlighted some of the accomplishments from the 2011 General Assembly Session. “We were able to advance important legislation and budget amendments to support our veterans. We were able to add four more claims agents to the Department of Veterans Services to speed up claims processing, provide additional funding for veterans cemeteries, grant in-state tuition rates for veterans and their families, and implement the real estate tax exemption for our disabled veterans. Here in our area, we were able to obtain funding for increasing rail access between Fort A. P. Hill and Fort Lee to allow faster and safer movement for our troops while reducing bus traffic on our highways.”
Cox also discussed the 40-bed expansion at the Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center in Richmond. “Because of Virginia’s sound fiscal management, we were able to secure federal and state funding for the 40-bed expansion at the Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center.” Virginia became eligible for the federal funding for the project after other states could not fund their projects. Virginia moved up from the 41st priority to the top priority project.
Cox has a long history of sponsoring and supporting legislation to help veterans, military service members and their families. Over his career, he has introduced over eighty veterans related bills, starting in 1994 with legislation that permitted persons holding military privately-owned vehicle driver’s licenses issued by the Department of Defense to drive without a Virginia driver’s license for their first 30 days of residency in Virginia. In 2006, the Virginia Council of Chapters named Cox as the legislator of the year. In 2008, Cox received the National President’s Award for Exceptional Leadership & Meritorious Service from MOAA. Cox has also been recognized by the American Legion, VFW and several other veterans’ service organizations.
“It has been a pleasure to work with the Southside Virginia Chapter and the Virginia Council of Chapters in the past, and I look forward to continuing to work towards the goal of making Virginia the most veteran friendly state in the nation,” Cox concluded.
Pictures from the Southside Virginia MOAA Meeting
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