[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 127 (Monday, September 27, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      TRIBUTE TO BRAD CURREY, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL G. OXLEY

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 27, 1999

  Mr. OXLEY. Mr. Speaker, the strength of our republic lies in the 
participation of all people, exercising their individual liberty by 
making their voices heard. One person can make a difference that can 
benefit us all.
  Congress is, and should be composed of 535 laymen. We each have 
expertise in something, but on the wide array of issues with which we 
deal, we need a lot more information, a lot of educating--or we can 
make some mistakes. The two concepts--one person making a difference, 
and Congress needing solid information on a wide variety of topics--are 
combined in the career of a man named Brad Currey, Jr.
  Brad Currey retires at the end of this year as Chairman, President, 
and CEO of the Rock-Tenn Company in Norcross, Georgia. Brad always says 
that Rock-Tenn's value is based on the unique competence of its people; 
with those people, he built one of the country's largest manufacturers 
and converters of 100 percent recycled paperboard. Their products are 
all around us, but we rarely recognize them: cereal boxes, bookcovers, 
overnight express mail envelopes, and countless other items.
  During his career with Rock-Tenn, Brad demonstrated why a ``special 
interest group'' is not necessarily a bad thing. He has helped Congress 
refine an important part of environmental policy, especially in the 
area of recycling. In doing so, he and his colleagues in the 100 
percent paper recycling industry helped remind us of the broad power 
Congress has to affect the way business is done.
  A few years back, we grappled with what was referred to at the time 
as the ``solid waste crisis.'' Legislation was introduced and 
considered in the Commerce Committee to help spur the recycling 
markets. We certainly did not know all that we needed to know about 
recycling, and few people in environmental organizations or the 
lobbying community had an expert background in it, either. Brad Currey 
recognized that the future of his paper recycling industry was about to 
be decided in Congress. He called on his industry colleagues, many of 
whom were owners and operators of small family-run recycled paper 
companies, and convinced them of the need to make their voice heard in 
the debate on solid waste and recycled issues. From that point, the 
story takes on a more ``inside Washington`` character: they chose a 
name for themselves, the Paper Recycling Coalition (PRC), and hired a 
consulting firm to guide them through the legislative and regulatory 
process.
  Thanks to Brad and his colleagues, I have learned more about the 
recycled paper industry and its presence in Ohio and around the 
country. I have also learned more about the issues that affect them, 
and recognized that heir collective voice was valuable in crafting the 
nation's recycling policies. They created a more visible identity for 
the recycled paper industry, and they did it without arm-twisting or 
crass tactics. They did it with information.
  From what I have heard from his friends, inserting the paper 
recycling industry in the policymaking process is just one of many Brad 
Currey accomplishments. As Brad gets ready to retire, I want to thank 
him for his guidance and assure him that he has made a difference--he 
has had a positive impact on the policy process. Like Brad, I hope 
others will see that they too can make a difference. One willing, 
dedicated person can have a positive influence on policies that benefit 
the nation as a whole. Operating forthrightly and with integrity, they 
can inform us, and help to make our policies sounder. That is an 
important contribution, and, perhaps, the most vital lesson Brad leaves 
behind. it is about the people. People like Brad Currey.

                          ____________________