Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Denver West Partners for being recognized as the 2017 Chairman's Choice Award winner by the Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation (Jeffco

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Master Sergeant Gerald Harman Spann, United States Marine Corps, for his service to our country.

Master Sergeant Spann served in the United States Marine Corps from 1964 to 1968, enlisting with his brother, Donald, and serving for one year, two months, and eighteen days in country, in the Republic of Vietnam. From there, he served in the Colorado Army National Guard from 1975 to 1992, retiring at the rank of Master Sergeant. Gerald's military awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnamese Service Medal with one device, the Vietnamese Campaign Medal with the 60 device, the USMC Good Conduct Medal, the Rifle and Pistol badges. After his military service, Gerald taught Industrial Arts Education in the Jefferson County School District, retiring in 1999. After completing a course of study at Emily Griffith Technical College studying clock repair, Gerald continues to work as a clock technician.

My office had the honor and privilege of getting to know Master Sergeant Spann and hearing about his experiences during a Vietnam War 50th Commemoration pinning ceremony in August 2017. In addition, Sergeant Spann's stories and that of his brothers will be submitted to the Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP) , a congressionally chartered project to collect, preserve and make accessible personal accounts of American war veterans.

Master Sergeant Spann's courageous service has charted the path for future generations of men and women to serve in the military. I extend my deepest appreciation to Master Sergeant Spann for his dedication, integrity and outstanding service to the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Lieutenant Colonel John Mark Spann, United States Army and Colorado Army National Guard for his service to our country.

John served as a Specialist 5 in the United States Army from 1972 to 1975, and served in the Colorado Army National Guard from 1975 to 1993, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. John also served as a Federal Civil Service civilian employee for the U.S. Air Force at Buckley Air Force Base from 1984 to 2014. Lieutenant Colonel Spann's military awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Achievement Medal, Desert Storm Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.

My office had the honor and privilege of getting to know Lieutenant Colonel Spann and hearing about his experiences during a Vietnam War 50th Commemoration pinning ceremony in August 2017. In addition, Sergeant Spann's stories and that of his brothers will be submitted to the Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP), a congressionally chartered project to collect, preserve and make accessible personal accounts of American war veterans.

Lieutenant Colonel Spann's courageous service has charted the path for future generations of men and women to serve in the military. I extend my deepest appreciation to Lieutenant Colonel Spann for his dedication, integrity and outstanding service to the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor MillerCoors for being recognized as the 2017 Pioneer Award winner by the Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation (Jeffco EDC).

The Pioneer Award is given to a company in Jefferson County that demonstrates a pioneering attitude within its industry and the local business community. MillerCoors, a MOLSON Coors Company, has been demonstrating their commitment to community and innovative spirit since 1873 when they first started brewing beer on the banks of Clear Creek in Golden, Colorado. Now on its fifth generation of family leadership, the company continues to be a good community partner making numerous investments in the community and local jobs. In addition, the company helped launch a recycling revolution, reduced its water usage by more than 25 percent, reduced energy use more than 50 percent and achieved Zero Waste to Landfill status.

Congratulations to MillerCoors for this well-deserved award, and I thank them for their contribution to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor posthumously, Captain Stephen Allison Spann, United States Navy Reserve, (ret) for his service to our country.

Captain Spann served in the United States Marine Corps from 1959 to 1963. From there he served for four years in the United States Marine Corps Reserves and three years in the United States Navy (Seabees) Reserves. Captain Spann served for thirty years as a member of the United States Navy Reserves, Civil Engineer Corps, retiring at the rank of Captain. Captain Spann's military awards and decorations include the USMC Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Meritorious Unit, Rifle and Pistol ribbons.

My office had the honor and privilege of getting to know Captain Spann and hearing about his experiences during a Vietnam War 50th Commemoration pinning ceremony in August 2017.

Captain Spann's courageous service charted a path for future generations of men and women to serve in the military. I extend my deepest appreciation to Captain Stephen Spann for his dedication, integrity and outstanding service to the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor SustainAbility for being recognized as the 2017 Community Champion Award winner by the Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation (Jeffco EDC).

The Community Champion Award recognizes a business that has significantly improved and influenced the quality of life in the community through active engagement, community service and creating positive economic growth. As a recycling company, SustainAbility uses the untapped potential of people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to contribute to society through meaningful work. The company employs over 190 people--145 of which have disabilities. Over the past year, the company has helped divert over 2.5 million pounds of materials from landfills through other public services such as hard-to- recycle drop-off centers, electronics disassembly and hospital and small business recycling pick-up.

Congratulations to SustainAbility for this well-deserved award, and I thank them for their contribution to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Trimble for being recognized as the 2017 Innovative Technology award winner by the Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation (Jeffco EDC).

The Innovative Technology Award is given to a local company that is on the forefront of new and advanced technologies and a company that is leading the way in aerospace, aviation, bioscience, energy or other similar industries. Founded in 1978, Trimble has become widely known as a pioneer in GPS technology, helping harness precise GPS satellite positioning for land and marine surveying. Today, the company serves many diverse industries including agriculture, building construction, heavy civil construction, energy, transportation and utilities. While positioning is still at the core, Trimble now innovates using a wide range of technologies such as Building Information Modeling, Mixed Reality, and Artificial Intelligence to help customers around the world do great things.

Congratulations to Trimble for this well-deserved award, and I thank them for their contribution to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Yadira Tiscareno Escalera for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Yadira Tiscareno Escalera is a student at Jefferson High School and received this award because her determination and hard work have allowed her to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Yadira Tiscareno Escalera is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Yadira Tiscareno Escalera for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of her future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Jose Villegas Garcia for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Jose Villegas Garcia is a student at Jefferson High School and received this award because his determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Jose Villegas Garcia is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Jose Villegas Garcia for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. I have no doubt he will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of his future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Miguel Olivas Maldonado for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Miguel Olivas Maldonado is a student at Arvada K-8 and received this award because his determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Miguel Olivas Maldonado is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Miguel Olivas Maldonado for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. I have no doubt he will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of his future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Kaleigh Melinger for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Kaleigh Melinger is a student at Jefferson High School and received this award because her determination and hard work have allowed her to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Kaleigh Melinger is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Kaleigh Melinger for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of her future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Tyler Pitera for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Tyler Pitera is a student at Arvada K-8 and received this award because his determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Tyler Pitera is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Tyler Pitera for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. I have no doubt he will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of his future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Raegan Sawano for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Raegan Sawano is a student at Oberson Middle School and received this award because her determination and hard work have allowed her to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Raegan Sawano is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Raegan Sawano for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of her future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Megan Schueller for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Megan Schueller is a student at Warren Tech North and received this award because her determination and hard work have allowed her to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Megan Schueller is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Megan Schueller for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of her future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Sutton Sparr for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Sutton Sparr is a student at Mandalay Middle School and received this award because his determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Sutton Sparr is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Sutton Sparr for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. I have no doubt he will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of his future accomplishments.