[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 160 (Thursday, November 6, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H10539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING JAY S. PIFER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. MOLLOHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Jay S. 
Pifer, a businessman and friend, as he plans his retirement after more 
than 40 years with Allegheny Energy Company, an integrated energy 
company with a balanced portfolio of businesses. At a time when too 
many corporate leaders are failing in their obligations to their 
customers, employees, investors and community, it is a rare privilege 
to be able to honor a man who demonstrates on a daily basis what 
integrity and leadership truly mean.
  Mr. Pifer, who began his tenure with Allegheny as an apprentice 
engineering technician, was named interim president and CEO before 
being named chief operating officer in June. Like many in the energy 
production and distribution business today, Allegheny has suffered 
significant erosion in its financial health which has resulted in a 
virtually completely turnover in the company's management. During this 
time of turbulence and upheaval, Jay served to hold the company 
together, facilitating the transition from the old management team to 
the new. Further, he agreed to stay on to help the new team while it 
got its bearings. During this period, Allegheny faced ice, snow and 
thunderstorms capped recently by Hurricane Isabel, and Jay and his 
crews performed spectacularly with speed and grace.
  Financial troubles notwithstanding, Jay Pifer and Allegheny led the 
industry in customer satisfaction, named recently as second best on the 
East Coast. His dedication to his employees, customers, and community 
served by Allegheny is legendary, and we hate to see him leave. 
However, his dedication to his family and his faith is even greater, 
and we understand his desire to spend his time with those who have 
supported him during these 40 years.
  Jay has held many leadership positions with the company, including 
president of Allegheny Power energy delivery subsidiary, which supplies 
power throughout the State of West Virginia, as well as Maryland, 
Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio. During that time, J.D. Power and 
Associates recognized Allegheny Power as the second best company in 
customer satisfaction in the East, and 10th best in the Nation with 
improvement in each of the last 10 years.
  In addition to his service with Allegheny, Jay has been involved in 
many civic and community activities, only a few of which include 
serving on the boards of the United Way, the Business Round Tables of 
West Virginia and Pennsylvania, and the West Virginia Education 
Alliance. His commitment to young people includes a long association 
with the Boy Scouts of America, and he currently serves on the advisory 
board of the northeast region of the Boy Scouts. He is also an ordained 
lay Pastor in the United Methodist Church.
  In what was described in the Washington Post as perhaps an 
unprecedented effort to showcase a new approach to conservation, Jay 
oversaw the sale of a large tract of Allegheny Power land to the Canaan 
Valley Institute which included one of the largest wetlands east of the 
Mississippi River, which will now be preserved as a habitat for 
threatened and endangered wildlife, as well as public recreation. Land 
and stream management practices are being developed on this land as 
part of the Canaan Valley Institute's land and water stewardship 
education program. Jay was instrumental in the expansion of the Canaan 
Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the Nation's 500th national wildlife 
refuge.
  On February 14, 2002, he once again demonstrated his commitment to 
conservation by engineering the sale of 12,000 acres to the refuge. I 
was honored to work with Jay on these land transfers which will benefit 
generations to come.
  Mr. Speaker, it would be impossible to catalog here tonight all of 
Jay's accomplishments and contributions, yet these few examples 
illustrate what an outstanding gentleman Jay Pifer is.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Jay S. Pifer.

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