Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor Saunders Yachtworks with facilities in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama, on its 50th anniversary.

In 1959, the Saunders Engine & Equipment Company, Inc. was founded by Andrew Saunders Sr. in Mobile, and today members of the second and third generation represent the majority of the company's ownership. The company's ``can do'' attitude has set it apart as a premier marine service provider along the central Gulf Coast.

In 1993, Saunders Yachtworks opened as a mechanical service facility in Orange Beach, and in 2007, Saunders Yachtworks became the sole focus of the corporation. This year, the company expanded its operations to Gulf Shores with the opening of its new corporate headquarters and mechanical service shop.

This new facility features one of the largest boat lifts on the central Gulf Coast allowing Saunders to work on boats up to 115 feet. There is no doubt this new expansion will bring yachters from around the world to Alabama's Gulf Coast.

Throughout its 50 years of operations, the company has received numerous awards and accolades. In 1990, Saunders Engine & Equipment was named ``Small Business of the Year'' by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. Earlier this year, Saunders Yachtworks was named Boatyard of the Year by the American Boat Builders and Repairers Association. This award is given to the boatyard that ``demonstrates excellence in all facets of business through commitment to customer service, quality management and positive vendor and employee relations.''

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me in congratulating Saunders Yachtworks on its 50th anniversary and for being recognized as the Boatyard of the Year. I know John Fitzgerald, the company president, Andrew Saunders Jr., chairman of the board, along with the company employees, their friends, families, and members of the community also join with me in praising Saunders Yachtworks for their many accomplishments and for extending thanks for their continued service to the Alabama business community and the First Congressional District.

Madam Speaker, it is with great pride and pleasure that I rise to commend the inaugural Honor Flight South Alabama and the 91 World War II veterans this very special organization is bringing to Washington, D.C. this week.

Founded by the South Alabama Veterans Council, Honor Flight South Alabama is an organization whose mission is to fly heroes from Mobile, Baldwin, Washington, Clarke, Monroe, Covington, and Escambia counties in Alabama to see their national memorial.

Over six decades have passed since the end of World War II and, regrettably, it took nearly this long to complete work on the memorial that honors the spirit and sacrifice of the 16 million who served in the U.S. armed forces and the more than 400,000 who died. Sadly, many veterans did not live long enough to hear their country say ``thank you'' yet, for those veterans still living, Honor Flight provides for many their first--and perhaps only--opportunity to see the National World War II Memorial, which honors their service and sacrifice.

This Honor Flight, the organization's maiden flight, begins at dawn when the veterans will gather at historic Fort Whiting in Mobile and travel to Mobile Regional Airport to board a US Airways flight to Washington. During their time in their nation's capital, the veterans will visit the World War II Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, and other memorials.

The veterans will return to Mobile Regional Airport Wednesday evening, where some 1,000 people--including high school bands, Boy Scout troops, and Azalea Trail and Dogwood Trail Maids--are expected to greet them.

Madam Speaker, today's journey of 91 heroes from south Alabama is an appropriate time for us to pause and thank them--and all of the soldiers who fought in World War II--for they collectively--and literally--saved the world. They personify the very best America has to offer, and I urge my colleagues to take a moment to pay tribute to their selfless devotion to our country and the freedom we enjoy.

I salute each of the 91 veterans who made the trip today. May we never forget their valiant deeds and tremendous sacrifices.

Vance Barnes; Edna Bednekoff; Maurice Bell; Glenn Boom;

Douglas Bower; Alto Brill; John Brodbeck; Arnold Brodbeck,

Jr.; William Burchett; Henry Burgess; Helen Callaway; John

Campbell; William Carpenter; Florene Clayton; Thomas Cowart;

Kenneth Cramton; Charles Cuff; Leo Curtis; John Deloney; Rois

Deshazo; Norman Dobson; Jack Dunlavy; Charles Dyas, Jr.; Joe

Dykes; Edwin Epperson; William Fleming; Samuel Gilreath;

Joseph Gould; George Grau; Joseph Green; and

John Grimes; Walter Hadley; Woodrow Hall; Jeremiah Hammond;

Welton Hance; Paul Hannie; William Harrison III; Billy Heard;

Howard Heminger; Earl Hilyer; Paul Hogan; Adam Hollinger;

Milton Hudson; Clint Humphrey; Samuel Jenkins; Fred Jones;

George Kendley; Charles Kostmeyer; Wilmer Lamey; Francis

Larsen; John Laudin; John Lee; Jonathan Leff; Edly Lewis;

John Little; Albert Lobsitz; Billy Lyon; Ralph Manning;

William March; Dillon March; and

Dale Martz; Thomas McClellan; Martin McGowan; James

McIntyre; John Mitchell; Harry Moreland; J. Edgar Moser;

George Noffsinger; Clayton Oleson; Thomas Ollinger; Cecil

Palmer; Clarence Phillips; Herbert Pierce; Gordon Pierce;

Arthur Prince; Wade Reeves; Sibley Richerson; Gary Roberts;

Thomas Schmaeling; Otis Slack; James Sowell, Jr.; Robert

Spielmann; Colwin Steadham; Ivan Sweeney; Olin Tisdale;

George Underwood; Edward Wade; Henry Waltman; J.B. White-

Spunner; Mabron Williams; and Janet Woods.

Madam Speaker, it is with both pride and pleasure that I rise today to honor the career of Mobile's beloved television weather anchor, John Edd Thompson.

A native of Mobile, John Edd is perhaps the most recognized name and face in television weather along the Gulf Coast. He has been a fixture on Mobile's WALA-TV ``Fox10'' for over three decades and, during this time, he has been the trusted source of information for every major storm. John Edd has tracked and reported on Hurricanes Frederic, Elena, Andrew, Opal, Erin, Danny, Georges, Ivan, and Katrina.

Since Mobile's Press-Register introduced its Readers' Choice Awards in 2002, John Edd has always placed first in the final results. He was named ``Readers' Choice Local TV

Weather Reporter'' in the 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 competitions, and the Mobile Press Club has named him the ``Best Weather Anchor'' several times.

In recognition of his remarkable accomplishments, The Press Club of Mobile awarded John Edd its 2005 John Harris Achievement Award, an award presented to a member of the news media ``who has made a consistently excellent contribution over a period of time.'' The Mobile County Commission recently declared 2009 as ``The Year of John Edd.''

A prolific songwriter, John Edd is one of the founding members of the Mobile Songwriters. He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Association International and a member of the board of the Frank Brown Songwriters Festival. John Edd also wrote the fight song for the University of South Alabama.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing a dedicated community leader and friend to many throughout Alabama. On behalf of all those who have benefited from his good heart and generous spirit, permit me to extend thanks for his many efforts in making Mobile and south Alabama a better place. John Edd Thompson is an outstanding example of the quality of individuals who have devoted their lives to the field of broadcast journalism.

On behalf of a grateful community, I wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, it is with both pride and pleasure that I rise today to honor the career of beloved television host, author and community leader, Rosie Seaman.

A former preschool and kindergarten teacher, Rosie joined Mobile's WKRG-TV5 in 1974 as the host of ``Rosie's Place,'' a locally-produced, weekly half-hour show for school-age children. For almost ten years, families across the central Gulf Coast welcomed Rosie into their homes. In 1976, ``Rosie's Place'' won the Alabama Arts and Humanities Award for best TV series in the state.

Rosie later went on to produce other children's programming at WKRG, including ``Small Fry News'' and ``Youth Magazine.''

Rosie has worn many hats over the course of her 35 year career with Mobile's CBS affiliate. She was the producer of the public affairs program, ``Page 5,'' associate producer for the ``We Are Mobile'' tri- centennial movie project, and producer for WKRG's morning and noon news programs. Most recently, she served as segment producer at WKRG, booking guests for the station's news and public affairs programs.

Through her work at WKRG, Rosie ensured that civic leaders and organizations had frequent access to the airwaves. She helped organizations including the United Way, the American Cancer Society, the Salvation Army and the Child Advocacy Center reach out to viewers through the station's public affairs and talk segments on news shows.

Rosie was also the author of several nationally published educational books, which ranged in topic from arts and sciences to the teaching of moral values to young children. Mobile's Drug Education Council recently published one of Rosie's books on drug awareness for young children.

In recognition of her remarkable accomplishments, The Press Club of Mobile awarded Rosie its 2004 John Harris Lifetime Achievement Award.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing a dedicated community leader and friend to many throughout Alabama. On behalf of all those who have benefited from her good heart and generous spirit, permit me to extend thanks for her many efforts in making Mobile and south Alabama a better place. Rosie Seaman is an outstanding example of the quality of individuals who have devoted their lives to the field of broadcast journalism.

On behalf of a grateful community, I wish her the best of luck in all her future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, the town of Loxley, Alabama, and all of southwest Alabama recently lost a dear friend, and I rise today to honor Franklin Roosevelt Brackin and pay tribute to his memory.

Known to his many friends as Frank, he was a native of Covington, Alabama and lived in Loxley for over three decades. Frank was known to everyone in Loxley for riding his bicycle adorned with American flags through town. He took it upon himself to monitor the flags flown on the town's public property, and he would notify the staff at Town Hall if he spotted a problem.

Each day, Frank ate breakfast at the Loxley Civic Center with other seniors, and he visited the Fire Department, Police Department and merchants along Alabama Highway 59. As Frank grew older and traffic increased, he began making his daily visits on foot, at which time, Loxley police provided him with an orange safety vest to make him more visible as he traveled throughout the community.

Frank was also a member of the Association of Retarded Citizens of Baldwin County (ARCBC). Each year, he and other ARCBC members traveled to either Disney World or Dollywood, which was always a highlight of his year. Frank was also active in the Baldwin County Strawberry Festival, serving on the cleanup committee for many years.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a beloved friend to many throughout southwest Alabama. Franklin Roosevelt Brackin will be dearly missed by his family--his two brothers, his sister, and the entire town of Loxley--as well as the countless friends he leaves behind.

Our thoughts and prayers are with them all during this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, it is with great pride and pleasure that I rise to honor the long and distinguished career of Chandler Bramlett, on the occasion of his retirement from Infirmary Health System.

With a career spanning over 40 years, Chandler has served in administrative positions in healthcare facilities in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama.

A native of Mobile and graduate of Murphy High School, Chandler received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Alabama in 1964 and an M.B.A. and Certificate in Hospital Administration from the University of Florida in 1996.

After graduation and before his induction into military service, Chandler served as an administrative assistant with Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Florida. Later that same year, he joined the U.S. Public Health Service Office in Atlanta where he worked as a health services officer at the Division of Medical Care Administration Regional Office. Two years later, he was named vice president of the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, Mississippi. In 1972, Chandler returned to Alabama as the administrator of Jackson County Hospital and Nursing Home in Scottsboro.

Chandler joined the Mobile Infirmary in 1976, initially as administrator of its Rotary Rehabilitation Hospital. In 1978, he was named executive vice president. Five years later, he became president/ chief executive officer of Infirmary Health System, which today is the largest integrated healthcare delivery system in the Central Gulf Coast Region.

Today, the Infirmary Health System is the fifth largest private sector employer in the state. It is the parent company of five hospitals and one nursing home in Mobile and Baldwin Counties with 1,300 licensed beds, including Mobile Infirmary Medical Center, the largest not-for-profit acute care hospital in Alabama. Under Chandler's leadership, the not-for-profit healthcare system was created, a comprehensive partnership with the University of South Alabama's Mitchell Cancer Institute was developed, and a scholarship program to train nurses was created.

With more than three decades with the company, Chandler was the most senior healthcare executive serving in the state of Alabama at the time of his retirement in December 2008.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing a dedicated community leader and friend to many throughout Alabama. I know his family, his wife, Polly; their daughters, Louise, Susanne, Patricia, and Amanda; his many friends; and past and present Infirmary Health System employees join me in praising his accomplishments and extending thanks for his service over the years on behalf of the city of Mobile and the state of Alabama.

Chandler will surely enjoy the well deserved time he now has to spend with family and loved ones. On behalf of a grateful community, I wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, the city of Mobile and indeed the entire state of Alabama, recently lost a dear friend, and I rise today to honor the memory of Ray-Ray Russell.

A native of Mobile, Ray-Ray graduated from Williamson High School in the Maysville community and earned a Bachelor's Degree in communication from Alabama State University.

In 1996, Ray-Ray returned to Mobile and started working for WBLX-FM radio. He was host of the station's long-running radio show, ``The Gulf Coast Wake-up Party.'' For years, listeners across the central Gulf Coast tuned in every morning for Ray-Ray to help them start their day. He also broadcast Friday night high school football games for Comcast's Port City 6.

However, Ray-Ray's contributions extended far beyond the airwaves. He started the Rolling Reader program, in which disc jockeys read to elementary school children. In fact, Ray-Ray read to Mobile and Baldwin County classes at least once a week. He also participated in a number of charity events.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a dedicated community leader and friend to many throughout Alabama. Ray- Ray Russell was an outstanding example of the quality of individuals who have devoted their lives to the field of broadcast journalism, and at the age of 42, he was taken from us too soon.

On behalf of all those who have benefited from his generous spirit, permit me to extend thanks for his many efforts in making Mobile and south Alabama a better place. Ray-Ray will be deeply missed by his family--his seven children and his seven brothers and sisters--as well as the countless friends he leaves behind. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all at this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 204, I was unavoidably detained due to committee meeting. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, Monroe County--and the entire State of Alabama--recently lost a dear friend, and I rise today to honor Mrs. Abbie Powe Sessions and pay tribute to her memory.

A native of Branch in Choctaw County, ``Miss Abbie'' had been a resident of Hybart in Monroe County for most of her adult life. She graduated from high school in Silas and studied at both Livingston State Teachers College and Troy State Teachers College. A few years ago, she moved into a retirement community in Mobile so she could be closer to her family.

``Miss Abbie'' was truly a steel magnolia. She was strong in her faith, devoted to her family and friends and a constant source of inspiration to all who knew and loved her. She was a homemaker and actively assisted her late husband, Jefferson B. Sessions Jr., in his country store and farm equipment business. Their only son, Senator Jeff Sessions, credits her hard work and frugality with instilling in him the value of a dollar and the importance of hard work.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a friend to many throughout south Alabama. Mrs. Abbie Powe Sessions will be dearly missed by her family--her son, Senator Jeff Sessions and his wife Mary; her three grandchildren, Mary Abigail Sessions Reinhardt, Ruth Blackshear Sessions Walk, and Samuel Turner Sessions; her great granddaughter, Jane Ritchie Reinhardt; her sister, Mary P. Powe; and her nephew, Harry A. Powe III--as well as the countless friends she leaves behind.

Our thoughts and prayers are with them all during this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, the town of Winfield, Alabama recently lost two dear friends, and I rise today to honor Ezra Bonner ``Bud'' Carothers and Mary Lee Hill Carothers and pay tribute to their memory.

A native of Marion County, Bud was a resident of the Winfield area most of his life. He graduated from Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery and attended the University of Alabama. He was in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in Okinawa, Iwo Jima, Philippines, Peluloe and Saipan.

Mary was also a native of Marion County. She graduated from Winfield High School and went on to attend Fairfax Hall College in Waynesboro, Virginia, as well as the University of Alabama.

Loved by their family, respected by the entire community, Bud and Mary are perhaps best known for the Winfield Quick Freeze, a meat processing facility in Winfield that the couple owned and operated for almost four decades. They were also both active members of Winfield First United Methodist Church.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering two dedicated community leaders known to many throughout northwest Alabama.

Ezra Bonner ``Bud'' Carothers and Mary Lee Hill Carothers will be dearly missed by their family--their sons, William Russell Carothers II and his wife Becky, and Robert Leroy ``Bubba'' Carothers and his wife Rebecca; their eight grandchildren, Melissa Carothers Beard, William Russell Carothers III, Christian Hill Carothers, Robert Leroy Carothers Jr., Brooks Reed Carothers, Ryan Lee Carothers, Julia Gardner, and Amanda Gardner; their eight great-grandchildren, Mary Kate Beard, Spencer Beard, Will Carothers, John Carothers, Nicholus Carothers, Elizabeth Carothers, Allie Carothers, and Caroline Carothers; and nieces and nephews--as well as the countless friends they have left behind.

Our thoughts and prayers are with them all during this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, it is with great pride and pleasure that I rise today to honor Mrs. Eugenia Armbrecht on the occasion of her being named First Lady of Mobile. The Mobile chapters of Beta Sigma Phi, an international women's network with over 165,000 members, recently bestowed this honor on her.

Known to her many friends as ``Gigi,'' she is a tireless volunteer and has devoted her entire life to improving the lives of countless people who call Mobile and south Alabama home.

Gigi moved to Mobile from Galveston, Texas, just in time for her senior year at Murphy High School. Following graduation, she moved to Tuscaloosa where she attended the University of Alabama and received a bachelor's degree in education. She met her future husband, Conrad Armbrecht, in Tuscaloosa, and after graduation, they moved to Mobile where she began teaching first grade.

She soon developed an interest in special education and began working on her first master's degree at the University of South Alabama. Gigi also began giving much of her time as a volunteer for Mobile United, and by 1988, she was a paid employee of the organization. Ten years later, she was recruited to join AT&T, and she now serves as manager of regional and external affairs for the company.

Gigi was also honored this year as a distinguished University of South Alabama alumna and the Junior League of Mobile's Sustainer of the Year.

Madam Speaker, I would like to offer my personal congratulations to Mrs. Eugenia ``Gigi'' Armbrecht for being named this year's First Lady of Mobile; truly, no one is more deserving of this high honor. And in so doing, I would also like to recognize Gigi for her lifetime of outstanding professional and philanthropic accomplishments; she is truly a role model for our entire community.

Furthermore, I would ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating this respected and dedicated friend to many throughout south Alabama. I know Gigi's family; her husband, Conrad; their two wonderful children, Stewart and Amanda; her granddaughter and her many friends and other family join me in praising Gigi's accomplishments and extending thanks for her never-ending efforts to make south Alabama a better place to live and call home.

Madam Speaker, the city of Mobile and, indeed, the entire State of Alabama recently lost a dear friend, and I rise today to honor Elizabeth Ann Pittroff Copeland and pay tribute to her memory.

Known to her many friends as Betty, she was a lifelong resident of Mobile. She graduated from The Visitation Monastery and was a lifelong member of St. Pius X Catholic Church. She married her husband of 58 years,

Reggie Copeland Sr., just three days before he was sent to Germany with the U.S. Army in 1950.

Betty's first priority was raising her children and later her grandchildren. She was known for seamstress skills and for being a prolific note-writer. Whenever she saw something in the newspaper about someone she knew, she would clip it out and send it to them with a personal note.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a dedicated community leader and friend to many throughout south Alabama. Elizabeth Ann Pittroff Copeland will be dearly missed by her family-- her husband, Mobile City Council President Reggie Copeland Sr.; their five children, Reggie Copeland Jr., Randy Copeland and his wife Alison, Gayle Phillips and her husband Lee, Riley Copeland and his wife Penny, and Russ Copeland and his wife Leigh; their 12 grandchildren, Tre' Copeland, Ryder Copeland, Randall Copeland, Anna Copeland, Grace Copeland, Jordan Phillips, Will Phillips, Riley Phillips, Conrad Copeland, Cunningham Copeland, Madison Copeland, and Anderson Copeland; and her sister, Mary Ellen Ham and her husband Victor--as well as the countless friends she leaves behind.

Our thoughts and prayers are with them all during this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Dogwood Trail Maids for being selected to participate in this year's National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Held annually, the Cherry Blossom festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the mayor of Tokyo to the city of Washington and honors the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan.

Today, more than a million people travel to Washington each year to see the blossoming cherry trees and attend events that signal the beginning of spring in our Nation's capital.

For 49 years, the Dogwood Trail Pageant and Scholarship Program-- comprised of six high school girls from Baldwin County--complete nearly 200 hours of community service and make more than 50 appearances, including festivals, charity runs and ceremonies. The trail maids were even invited to both of Governor Bob Riley's Inaugural parades.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Dogwood Trail Maids for their participation in the 2009 National Cherry Blossom Festival. I know Baldwin County and indeed, the State of Alabama are so proud for these young ladies to travel to Washington and participate in the organization's first Cherry Blossom parade.

Madam Speaker, the city of Jackson and, indeed, the entire State of Alabama recently lost a dear friend, and I rise today to honor J.W. Andrews, Jr., and pay tribute to his memory.

Born in Prestwick, Alabama, Mr. Andrews married Ida Virginia Tiggs Andrews in 1937, and the two were married nearly 55 years when she died. He began his career as a machine operator at a veneer mill before becoming an insurance agent for Unity Burial Life Insurance Co. in the early 1950s. By the end of the decade, he had become manager of the company as well as of the accompanying Unity Funeral Home. In the mid- 1970s, Mr. Andrews and his wife purchased the funeral home, which became Andrews Funeral Home in 1986. The couple also owned Andrews Flower and Gift Shop.

During the 1960s, Mr. Andrews became active in both politics and the civil rights movement in Clarke County. He traveled to various communities holding voter registration classes, helping familiarize residents with the voter questionnaire used by the Board of Registrars. He was also a longtime president of the Clarke County Voters League, an organization formed to promote and protect the voting rights of African Americans.

Mr. Andrews was instrumental in the formation of several county commission and school board districts, which provided African Americans representation on those boards. In 1985, Mr. Andrews became one of the first two African Americans to be elected to serve on the Jackson City Council, a seat he held for 14 years. He was also the first African American to serve on the Clarke County Board of Education.

In recognition of his many achievements, the city of Jackson honored Mr. Andrews by rededicating State Highway 177 from the end of Commerce Street to U.S. 43 as the ``J.W. Andrews Highway.'' In 1997, he was honored as the Civitan Club's 47th ``Citizen of the Year.''

Mr. Andrews was an active member of his church, St. Union Baptist Church in Jackson. He served as a deacon for more than 50 years as well as treasurer, Sunday school superintendent, and choir member. For more than 50 years, he served as host of the Sunday morning radio programs ``Spiritual Time'' and later ``Early Morning Gospel'' on WHOD-FM. He also served as an Alabama Democratic Conference chairman for more than 35 years.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a dedicated community leader and friend to many throughout south Alabama. J.W. Andrews, Jr., will be dearly missed by his family--his children, William Wesley Andrews, Sr., Hattie Virginia Sampson, Carl Gregory Andrews, and Harriette Andrews Douglas; his sister, Jessie Mae Jackson; his 11 grandchildren; his 22 great-grandchildren; and his seven great- great-grandchildren--as well as the countless friends he leaves behind.

Our thoughts and prayers are with them all during this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, it is with great pride and pleasure that I rise today to honor Mobile Mayor Sam Jones on the occasion of being named Mobilian of the Year for 2008 by the Cottage Hill Civitan Club. The Mobilian of the Year is the city's most prestigious civic honor, and Mayor Jones is most deserving of this award in recognition of his tireless efforts on behalf of the Port City.

A native of Mobile, Mayor Jones graduated from Central High School in Mobile. He attended Florida Junior College and Jacksonville University in Florida before enrolling at the Alabama Interdenominational Seminary, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate.

Mayor Jones started his career in the U.S. Navy where he served for nine years. He served on the USS Forrestal where he was a flight deck troubleshooter for A-7 aircraft, an equal opportunity officer, race relations education specialist, and community services coordinator.

From 1980 until 1987, Mayor Jones was executive director of Mobile Community Action, Inc., where he oversaw a 240-person staff and a $5 million annual budget. He then served as a Mobile County Commissioner for four terms.

In 2005, Sam Jones was elected as the first African American mayor of Mobile. Mobile's Press-Register recently editorialized that ``Mobile's first African American mayor has demonstrated to the nation that Mobile is a progressive and inclusive Southern city where all residents have the opportunity for public service.''

Mayor Jones is a man known for working 10-12 hour days, including weekends, and is rarely one to take a vacation. As captain of the city of Mobile, Mayor Jones has done yeoman's work helping to recruit several significant economic projects to Mobile, including the biggest economic development project in the history of our state, ThyssenKrupp's $4 billion state-of-the-art steel plant.

Mayor Jones has an obvious love for Mobile. He has served as the past president of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama; a former member of the National Association of Counties Board of Directors; the National Association of Counties Election Reform Steering Committee; co-chair of Renewal 90 Educational Initiative; steering committee member of the 1988, 1992 and 2000 Education Funding Referendum Initiatives; former member of the Alabama Sentencing Commission; judge, Alabama Court of the Judiciary; former member of the Judicial Inquiry Commission; past member of the Alabama Port Authority; former member of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; former board member of the United Way of Southwest Alabama and 1998 chairman of a $7 million campaign for the organization; founder of the Mobile County Community Development Partnership; founder, Prichard Federal Credit Union; former chair of Envision Mobile/Baldwin; member, Underage Drinking Task Force; member, 100 Black Men, Mobile

Chapter; and director of Christian Education and Sunday School Superintendent for Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church.

He also currently serves on the boards of several organizations, including the University of South Alabama, the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission, the Mobile United Steering Committee, the Mobile Senior Bowl Committee, the MLK Redevelopment Corporation, the Mobile County Governmental Utilities, Mobile County Communication District, Volunteers of America, and Maritime Center of the Gulf of Mexico. He also serves as chair of the Metropolitan Planning Organization and is an emeritus member of the Community Foundation of Southwest Alabama.

Madam Speaker, I would like to offer my personal congratulations to Mayor Sam Jones for being named the Mobilian of the Year for 2008 and in so doing recognize him for his many outstanding accomplishments.

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating a dedicated professional and friend to many throughout south Alabama. I know his many friends and colleagues join me in praising his accomplishments and extending thanks for his many efforts over the years on behalf of the city of Mobile and the entire state.