[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 154 (Thursday, December 14, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S11786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING DALLAS TONSAGER

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Dallas 
Tonsager for his years of extraordinary public service as South 
Dakota's State Director of the United States Department of 
Agriculture's, USDA, Rural Development, RD, office. Dallas has been a 
tireless advocate on behalf of rural communities and area residents. 
His commitment and dedication to ensure the long-term viability of 
rural communities will continue to cultivate opportunities for rural 
growth and prosperity for many years to come. Dallas has earned the 
respect and friendship of those who know him in South Dakota, 
Washington, D.C. and around the country. On behalf of the citizens of 
South Dakota, it is my honor to express our sincere gratitude to Dallas 
Tonsager for his countless contributions and achievements.
  In 1993, President Clinton asked Dallas to bring his talent, 
integrity, ingenuity, and initiative to federal service to help the 
Administration address the concerns of Rural America. Dallas accepted 
the challenge and was appointed director of the former South Dakota 
Farmers Home Administration by President Clinton. Currently he oversees 
approximately 80 employees across the state in several Rural 
Development offices. Prior to his USDA service, Dallas was a two-term 
South Dakota Farmers Union President, first elected in 1987. Dallas, 
his wife Sharon, and their family continue to actively participate in a 
diversified family farm partnership near Oldham, South Dakota. It is 
clear that from his roots on the family farm, to his service for South 
Dakota Farmers Union and USDA, Dallas has always had the perspective of 
the hard working, rural, South Dakota citizen close to his heart. 
Indeed, he is respected by his colleagues across the country and was 
presented with the ``Hammer Award,'' by Vice-President Gore in 1995. In 
1999, Dallas was recognized as one of two Outstanding Rural Development 
State Directors in the entire nation by USDA Rural Development Under 
Secretary Jill Long Thompson.
  Rural Development takes a comprehensive approach towards economic 
development in rural areas, offering loans, grants, and other resources 
to rural citizens, communities, and Indian reservations. Dallas truly 
served as a partner in helping the people of rural South Dakota develop 
sustainable communities. He and his RD staff targeted financial and 
technical resources to areas of great need throughout the state in 
order to improve the quality of life. In his Rural Development tenure, 
Dallas has overseen the distribution of over $578 million in grants, 
loans and loan guarantees over the past six years in South Dakota. As 
such, the South Dakota RD office has been a central figure in the 
creation of many successful economic development projects in our state.
  For instance, the South Dakota Rural Development office was 
responsible for helping to create one of the first Enterprise 
Communities in the country--the Beadle and Spink Enterprise Community, 
BASEC. Additionally, RD assisted in developing the very first American 
Indian Empowerment Zone in the United States at the Pine Ridge Indian 
Reservation. Under the leadership of Dallas, Rural Development helped 
establish the South Dakota Value Added Agriculture Development Center , 
which now creates opportunities for farmers and ranchers to add value 
to the raw commodities produced on their operations, and capture the 
profits from these value-added products. Dallas is one of South 
Dakota's leading advocates of farmer-owned value-added cooperatives in 
South Dakota.
  Through the Rural Housing Service, South Dakota Rural Development has 
disbursed $320 million since 1995, which has benefitted nearly 6,000 
families in our state. Moreover, RD has distributed $173 million in 
funding under the Rural Business Cooperative Service program, which has 
saved 2,001 and created another 1,414 jobs in South Dakota since 1995.
  Finally, Dallas and his family have always been dedicated to public 
service, and I know he will continue to contribute to our state and 
it's citizens in the future. Therefore, I wish him all the best and I 
will continue to rely upon his valuable insight on the economic 
development needs in South Dakota. On behalf of the people of South 
Dakota, I want to thank Dallas for being a true public servant who has 
helped improve the quality of life for thousands of people all across 
South Dakota.

                          ____________________