[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 8 (Thursday, February 3, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S338]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S338]]
                 RECOGNITION OF STEPHEN AND LAURA ERDEL

 Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a couple 
that has had a tremendous impact on my hometown of Mexico, Missouri; my 
good friends Stephen and Laura Erdel. Mr. President, these two have 
served the community in a variety of roles and on January 22 they were 
the recipients of the Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce 1999 Community 
Service Award.
  Steve has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the 
Handishop, Inc. the Handi-Shop Endowment Fund, the Mexico Rotary Club, 
The Mexico Country Club, The Arthur Center Advisory Board, Mexico/
Audrain County Community Development, Enterprise Development 
Corporation, Audrain Medical Center Charitable Foundation, the Advanced 
Technology Center Foundation, the Westminister College Board of 
Trustees, Missouri Military Academy, the Alan Woods Scholarship 
Foundation, the Roy Creasey Scholarship Foundation and the Ross D. 
Ferris Scholarship.
  He has served as president of the Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce and 
as vice president of Economic Development. He was also president of the 
following organizations: Handishop, Inc., Mexico Country Club, Arthur 
Center Advisory Board and as chairman of the Audrain Medical Center 
Charitable Foundation, the Advanced Technology Center Foundation and as 
their fund-raising chairman. He is currently on the Westminster College 
Executive Committee.
  Mr. President, Laura Erdel also has an outstanding record of 
community service. Laura served as a member of the Mexico Board of 
Education for 6\1/2\ years. In 1996 she was the first woman to be 
elected president of the school board. She was vice president of the 
board for four years and is certified by the Missouri School Board 
Association. For seven years she also served as a weekly volunteer at 
Eugene Field School.
  Laura was co-founder of the A+ for Mexico Education, Inc. and 
president for two years. She has served as a board member of the 
Methodist Pre-school and on various committees of the Eugene Field PTO, 
Mexico Junior High School PTA, and Mexico High School PTA.
  As a member of the White family, long-time publishers of the Mexico 
Ledger, Laura has supported the Audrain Historical Society as publicity 
chairman for five years, ans was co-chairman of the Audrain County Fair 
in 1990. She is currently a member of the Presser Hall Restoration 
Society and has served on their board of directors. She has been a 
strong supporter of the YMCA as a board member and has worked on 
numerous fund drives.
  Laura is a former member of the Mexico Women's Club, a past president 
of the Wednesday Club and served as president of P.E.O. Chapter MB from 
1989 to 1991 and again in 1998-99. Furthermore, Laura was also the 
physician recruiter for Audrain Medical Center for ten years and has 
been a freelance reporter for the Mid-Missouri Business Journal.
  Mr. President, it is people like this, who are willing to serve, that 
make our communities better places to live. I ask that my colleagues 
join me in recognition of Steve and Laura Erdel, who serve as an 
example to us all.

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