News Releases

Printer-Friendly Version

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

FCPS Honors G. Ray Worley For Distinguished Service

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and the FCPS Office of Adult and Community Education (ACE) will recognize G. Ray Worley for significant contributions to education and dedicate a community meeting room in his honor at Dunn Loring Center at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18.   Worley is a native of the Dunn Loring community and has been a staunch advocate of lifelong learning in Fairfax County.

A member of the Adult and Community Education Advisory Committee since 1979, Worley presided as its chair for most of his 29-year tenure on the committee. He promoted and eventually realized the establishment of adult learning centers in high-need areas of the county. His vision of “education for everyone” helped pave the way for a variety of programs that have improved the quality of life in the county, including family literacy, education for unemployed or underemployed single parents, and juvenile court school programs. Worley also spearheaded the revitalization of the Willston Multicultural Center in the Bailey’s Crossroads area of Fairfax County.  The Washington Post and the Fairfax Federation of Civic Associations recognized him as Fairfax County Citizen of the Year in 2004, citing his outstanding work in advancing adult education opportunities in the county.  Worley also served for 28 years as a member of the Superintendent’s Community Advisory Council.

Born in Dunn Loring, Worley attended Vienna Elementary School, Fairfax High School, and American University. He earned a doctoral degree from Florida State University and, after graduation, became a businessman and consultant in real estate.  A community activist all his life, Worley has served on numerous major land use task forces in the county and is the current president of the Dunn Loring Improvement Association, Inc.

The location of the G. Ray Worley Community Meeting Room at Dunn Loring Center holds special significance. In 1937, Worley’s mother  galvanized community interest to petition for an elementary school in Dunn Loring; subsequently, Worley’s sister and brother were able to attend the new Dunn Loring Elementary School in 1939. Later, in the early 1980s, Worley enlisted community support to retain the school as a community school resource and recreation area. After closing its doors as an elementary school in the late 1970s, the Dunn Loring Center served as a regional administrative office and subsequently became home to the FCPS parent resource center, assistive technology center for special needs students, and center for professional learning and training for school personnel.

###

Note: Dunn Loring Center is located at 2334 Gallows Road, Dunn Loring. For more information contact Lynne Plante at 703-658-2798 or lynne.plante@fcps.edu .