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Commending Tom Kirkland Opticians.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 26, 2026
WHEREAS, for 40 years, Tom Kirkland Opticians has provided high-quality eyewear, personalized service, and trusted expertise to customers and fostered a strong sense of community in downtown Richmond; and
WHEREAS, Tom Kirkland grew up in Petersburg and learned the optometry profession as an apprentice under John Titmus and Les Harrup in Colonial Heights before earning his board license as an optician in 1978; and
WHEREAS, in March 1986, Tom Kirkland opened Tom Kirkland Opticians in downtown Richmond and has since provided generations of local residents with top-quality spectacle lens and a wide selection of eyewear frames; the business has been the only authorized Cartier eyewear dealer in Central Virginia for more than 30 years; and
WHEREAS, Tom Kirkland created a friendly, welcoming atmosphere at Tom Kirkland Opticians, and his experience in fitting a wide range of diverse faces and expertise in filling complex spectacle prescriptions has earned him loyal, lifelong customers; and
WHEREAS, over the course of his career, Tom Kirkland has served as president of the Opticians Association of Virginia and was voted by his peers in the industry as Optician of the Year in 2003; and
WHEREAS, Tom Kirkland has also imparted his knowledge to new generations of opticians by offering internships for students at Reynolds Community College; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Tom Kirkland Opticians hereby be commended on the occasion of its 40th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Tom Kirkland, founder of Tom Kirkland Opticians, as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the business's longstanding commitment to excellence and service to the Richmond community.