Former Rockville councilmember recognized for years of service

Former councilmember Virginia Onley was recognized for her years of service to the city of Rockville in a Mayor and Council meeting Monday night.

Onley served on the city council since 2013, the first African American female to do so.

“Virginia Onley has distinguished herself through her integrity, thoughtful leadership and perseverance on issues of importance for the Rockville community,” councilmember Mark Pierzchala said. “She has played a major role in bringing to fruition important initiatives and projects that will significantly benefit Rockville by improving the quality of life for today and well into the future.”

Overwhelmed by emotion upon receiving the recognition from the mayor and council, Onley thanked the city for having the opportunity to represent its residents.

“I hope I will be remembered as a servant who always had time for you, who always included everyone in this city and who enjoyed public service work,” Onley said.

She granted best wishes to the recently-elected mayor and councilmembers for the upcoming four years of their term as well.

“I would wish each and every one of you success over the next four years,” Onley said. “That time passes by so quickly. Please make sure you grab each and every opportunity to make a difference in Rockville as you establish your public service legacies.”

Before closing out her speech, Onley asked the mayor and council to look into a number of matters, such as increasing the number of councilmembers to allow greater representation, staggered terms for councilmembers and term limits.

Before becoming a councilmember six years ago, Onley worked at IBM for 35 years. For over 20 years, she was involved in the Rockville community, serving on multiple groups such as Rockville Senior Citizens Commission, Human Rights Commission, Montgomery County League of Women Voters and Montgomery County NAACP, to name a few.

She served at the Navy Exchange in Bethesda, serving as an ambassador of military benefits for military members and their families.

In this year’s election, she ran for mayor against incumbent Bridget Donnell Newton. Onley formed part of the Team Rockville slate of candidates, which saw incumbent councilmember Mark Pierzchala and newcomer David Myles elected as two of the city’s four councilmembers.