Editor’s note: This story is from NBC29 News and is posted here with permission.

Former speaker of Virginia’s House of Delegates William J. Howell was recognized on Saturday, April 28 with the 2018 Outstanding Virginian award at a ceremony at Batten’s Garrett Hall. (Batten and the Outstanding Virginian Committee selected Howell.)

Howell served in the House of Delegates for 30 years before retiring earlier this year. He was recognized for his service to the Commonwealth as an “Outstanding Virginian.”

Jay Adams, chairman of the Outstanding Virginian Committee, says Howell fits the award’s criteria perfectly.

“Virginia is very lucky that we do have a plethora of all kinds of people from different disciplines and a lot of people do a lot of good things,” said Adams.

Delegate David Toscano (D-Va.)—the current VA house minority leader who served alongside Howell—says no one is more deserving of this recognition.

“Speaker Howell has been a great leader for a long time in the commonwealth of Virginia; [he] did a great job as speaker [by] letting people present their points of view and leading the General Assembly in a way that reflects the values of the commonwealth for many years,” said Toscano.

Howell joins the likes of Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) and UVA’s seventh president John T. Casteen III as a winner of this award.

Howell was also honored in March by the General Assembly.

(photo courtesy of WINA News radio)

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WINA News radio also covered the presentation of the award.

You may read more about the decision to award this honor to Howell here and here.