[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 132 (Thursday, October 19, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               GROSSMAN HONORED AFTER 29 YEARS OF SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 19, 2000

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Howard J. 
Grossman, executive director of the Economic Development Council of 
Northeastern Pennsylvania, who is retiring on Oct. 31 after more than 
29 years of serving in that capacity.
  The Council serves Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, 
Schuylkill, and Wayne counties. Howard came to the region on June 21, 
1971, after serving as Deputy Director of the Montgomery County 
Planning Commission in Norristown. He has served Northeastern 
Pennsylvania well, with much significant progress having been made 
under his tenure.
  Howard's accomplishments and achievements are too numerous to 
mention, but I would like to highlight just a few examples of how his 
leadership has helped the region through his work at EDCNP.
  Following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Agnes in 1972, EDCNP 
was one of the leading organizations to plan our area's long-range 
flood recovery.
  Under his leadership, the council has also participated in the 
creation of the Montage development in Lackawanna County, which has 
been termed the most extensive and best development of its kind in the 
region and perhaps the East Coast. The council also established the 
Regional Enterprise Development Program, which assists many companies 
in the region with low-interest loans, technical assistance in 
procurement, exporting and international trade, and has used community 
development banking to assist small businesses.
  I have known Howard Grossman since he first came to the area and have 
worked closely with him on many projects over the years. In recent 
years, he may be best known for his leadership of the community effort 
to keep the Tobyhanna Army Depot open when it was threatened by the 
base closing commission.
  He helped to organize thousands of volunteers to demonstrate their 
appreciation for this vitally important community asset, and I will 
never forget the sight of hundreds of people holding signs and blue 
ribbons as Congressman Joseph McDade and I traveled with the commission 
members to Tobyhanna. I am especially grateful for the assistance that 
Howard provided in preparing the winning application for the Upper 
Susquehanna-Lackawanna watershed, which led to its designation as an 
American Heritage River.
  Mr. Speaker, like his accomplishments and achievements, Howard's 
awards and positions of leadership in the community are too numerous to 
list them all, but please allow me to mention a few as examples of his 
long and distinguished service.
  He has received the J. Roy Fogle Award from the National Association 
of Development Organizations as the Outstanding Executive Director of a 
Multi-County Planning and Development Organization, the Professional 
Planner of the Year award from the Pennsylvania Planning Association 
and the Distinguished Leadership Award for a Professional Planner from 
the American Planning Association. Howard also served as a member of 
the Ben Franklin Partnership Board for 11 years under Pennsylvania 
Governors Dick Thornburgh and Robert P. Casey.
  Howard has been President of many nonprofit organizations in the 
region and state, was a founder of the Pennsylvania Association of Non-
Profit Organizations, and was President of the Eastern Pennsylvania 
BAHIA Brazil Partners of the Americas, a national partnership that took 
over the Kennedy Alliance for Progress Initiative in 1965. This 
partnership continues today. He has also served in many other national, 
state, regional and local capacities, and plans to stay active with 
many of the organizations with which he has been associated in the 
region.
  As David Donlin, president of EDCNP, said in announcing Howard's 
retirement, speaking for many in the region, ``We will miss his 
leadership and guidance as the Council moves into the 21st Century with 
a strong view toward continuing its goals and mission: to be the 
regional advocate, catalyst, innovator, and promoter of economic growth 
and the highest quality of life in Northeastern Pennsylvania.''
  Mr. Speaker, I send my best wishes to Howard Grossman on the occasion 
of his retirement as executive director of the EDCNP.

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