[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 160 (Thursday, November 13, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S12656]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM D. MOORE

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I want to take a moment to recognize 
the work of one of my constituents--William D. Moore of Old Saybrook, 
Connecticut. Bill left his post as Executive Director of the 
Southeastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce this month and his work in 
that post deserves special recognition.
  Bill has been at the helm of so many economic and development 
initiatives in the Southern portion of our state that it is hard to 
list all of them in this brief statement. But without a doubt, it is 
Bill's leadership through some of the most difficult economic times in 
our state that really stand out in my mind.
  When the very first round of base closures were being proposed in the 
Pentagon in 1989, it was Bill Moore who literally marshaled the forces 
in Southern Connecticut. He recruited some of the most dynamic and 
brilliant minds in our state to come together and review every single 
document, every single calculation, and even the very computer model 
used to analyze the various Groton-New London regional facilities under 
the Defense Department's review. Bill created one of the most cohesive 
and effective team strategies ever presented to address the economic 
impact issues which clearly were not being assessed by the Pentagon.
  Although not all of our efforts were successful, it was Bill's 
foresight and commanding presence that eventually led our team to 
victory in the fight to remove the New London Submarine Base from the 
Base Closure list in 1993. As a measure of credit, the Base Closure 
Commission belatedly admitted that the Navy's assumptions used to 
evaluate New London were flawed. Bill Moore was the man who first 
presented that information to the commission.
  However, Bill's efforts have gone far beyond that monumental task. He 
has been the usher at the door of an entire new economic era for 
Southeastern Connecticut. Just as the defense down-sizing efforts were 
taking their ravenous toll on our state and New London County in 
particular, Bill encouraged and fostered new development for our state 
and helped bring about a more level-headed transition for our heavily 
defense weighted economy. For example, he assisted in the appropriation 
of funds to rebuild the Connecticut State Pier and helped with the 
private-public partnerships that have rebuilt downtown New London. That 
was no small task.
  During Bill's tenure, the membership of the Southeastern Chamber has 
more than doubled. Clearly, the contributions of those members have 
made New London County what it is today.
  Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention Bill's contributions 
during the creation and expansion of two of the most successful Indian 
gaming facilities in the hemisphere. Bill's unique skills and 
perseverence made this transition for our region a positive and 
inclusive process.
  In closing, let me just add my personal thanks and congratulations to 
Bill and his family. I wish Bill and Maureen every success in their new 
endeavors.

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