Experience That Counts

Personal and Professional History

Delegate Joe May was born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley near Broadway, Virginia. It is his early experiences working on his family's farm that taught him love for our Commonwealth's natural beauty, respect for our historic independence, and how to drive a mean tractor! After graduating from Broadway High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Army for 3 years, and then entered Virginia Polytechnic Institute earning a BS in electrical engineering.

Delegate Joe May, known as the resident technology expert in the Virginia General Assembly, is currently serving his eigth term in the House of Delegates where he represents the 33rd House District which includes all of Clarke and part of Loudoun County.

In 1977, after a series of positions in the technology field, Joe founded his present business, EIT. EIT, located in Sterling and Danville, designs, manufactures and sells electronic products worldwide. He has over 22 granted patents and several pending, including the "SignaSigner" an instrument that electronically reproduces handwriting, and various devices for measuring UV light. If pressed to name a favorite of his inventions, it would be a railroad track curvature computer which was, ironically, not patented. Joe has written numerous technical articles, papers, and reports regarding various areas of technology.

In both 1991 and 1995, May received the Virginia Society of Professional Engineers’ "New Product of the Year Award." He was honored in 1996 as the recipient of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Science Museum of Virginia’s prestigious "Lifetime Achievement Award in Industry." In September 2000, he received the Governor’s Legislative Leadership Award in Technology, the 2000 Virginia Transit Legislator of the year. In February 2001 he received the Greater Washington Area "Engineer of the Year" award, and in October 2001 he was named "Virginia Biotechnology Legislator of the Year Award."

Joe is a member of the Virginia Society of Professional Engineers, Radtech International (a group associated with the use of commercial ultraviolet radiation), Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, and Airplane Owners and Pilots Association. Joe is a sixth generation Virginian and he and his wife, Bobby, live in Leesburg and attend St. James Episcopal Church. They have two daughters, Dr. Susan Pederson , a physicist who lives in Bloomington, Minnesota, and Elaine May Attridge, a medical librarian of Charlottesville, Virginia. In his spare time, Joe serves as Treasurer of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans, a Leesburg Civil War history group; flying as a private pilot; tending his small orchard of fruit and nut trees; auto racing --purely as a spectator sport; and scuba diving, in which he is internationally certified.

Community Activities

Joe has served in various community activities including being a member of the board of Keep Loudoun Beautiful and Dodona Manor. Joe has received numerous community awards including the 2001 Rotary Paul Harris Award and the 2007 Civil War Preservation Trust Leadership Award. He also enjoys serving as a Board member of the Northern Virginia 4-H Education Center. He has been a judge and group leader for the Northern Virginia Regional Science Fair, Loudoun County science fairs, and a judge in the Loudoun County History Fair. Other activities have included umpiring (as Chief Umpire) for Battlefield Little League; interacting with high school Gifted and Talented, Challenge Groups, and Junior Achievement Groups, sponsoring a summer intern program for college students at EIT, and sponsoring a school/business relationship with Guilford Elementary School in Sterling. He has also served as former Vice Chairman of the Board of Loudoun Hospital and former member on the Regional Advisory Board of First American Bank in Leesburg.

Legislative Information

In 1993, Joe was elected as a Republican to the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 33rd District. He currently serves as Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, is a member on the House Appropriations Committe, where he chairs a subcommitte on Transportation , and is a member of the Technology Oversight & Government Activities and Higher Education subcommittees. He is also a member of the Science and Technology Committee. He also chairs the Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS) and the Joint Commission on Transportation Accountability which will serve as a "watch dog" group over VDOT. Joe also serves on the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin and was recently named by the Speaker to serve on the Aerospace Advisory Council.