[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2191]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN HONOR OF WARREN-CENTER-LINE STERLING HEIGHTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 
HALL OF FAME RECOGNITION BANQUET HONOREES TARIK DAOUD, MARK STEENBERGH, 
                            AND GERALD ELSON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID E. BONIOR

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 15, 2000

  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today not only as a member of the 
United States House of Representatives but also as a member of the 
Honorary Committee for the Warren-Center Line-Sterling Heights Hall of 
Fame Banquet. This is the event's first year, and I am proud to be a 
part of honoring three exceptional individuals for their commitment to 
the betterment of their business and civic environments--Mayor Mark 
Steenbergh, Gerald Elson, and Tarik Daoud. One simply needs to view the 
landscape to see the tangible evidence of the impact these individuals 
have had on the economic environment there.
  Since Warren Mayor Mark Steenbergh became mayor of Warren, taxes are 
down, property values are up, and businesses are racing to take root in 
the city. Mayor Steenbergh's vision of a better Warren is evidence in 
the hard work and dedication to prosperity that he has put into the 
city. To many, the closing of the TACOM headquarters on Van Dyke 
spelled doom for the City of Warren. Mayor Steenbergh did Warren 
residents proud with his commitment to working with state and local 
officials to build a successful industrial park on the site. The crown 
jewel of Warren will shine in 2002, when the new Warren Community 
Center opens it's doors. As Mayor of Macomb County's largest city, Mark 
Steenbergh is friend to all those who live and work in the Warren 
community.
  Working his way up from design engineer, to his present position of 
Vice President of General Motors and GM of Operations for the North 
American Car Group, Gerald Elson personifies the hard working attitude 
of Western Macomb. His meteoric rise from the small town of Merrill, 
Michigan outside Saginaw to one of the highest ranking officials at the 
top company on Fortune Magazine's Global 500 shows proof of his 
brilliant ingenuity and business sense. In this capacity, and as 
Chairperson for the GM Warren County Relations Committee, Elson has 
served as the architect of General Motor's commitment to the City of 
Warren. Nowhere else in the world is the economy so reliant upon the 
auto industry as it is in Michigan, and Elson's committee to keeping GM 
on top makes him invaluable to the community's neighborhoods and 
business environment.
  Community leader, business owner, and philanthropist, Tarik Daoud has 
been a part of the Macomb County Community since 1964. As owner of Al 
Long Ford in Warren, Daoud has recently been named a finalist for the 
2000 Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award. This distinguished honor comes 
as a result of Daoud's tradition of exceptional performance not only as 
a car dealer, but also to the community. Daoud sits on numerous Boards 
including Salvation Army and the Warren YWCA, in addition to his work 
with the International Visitor Council, which hosts foreign visitors to 
the Metro Area. Tarik Daoud has earned his reputation and respect 
throughout the community not only for his success as a businessman, but 
also for his education and charitable contributions.
  Please join me in thanking the Chamber of Commerce, and 
congratulating these three outstanding individuals for their devotion 
to their work and the bettermen of our communities.

                          ____________________