[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 170 (Friday, November 21, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S15404]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING LINDA BARKER

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, today I wish to publicly commend 
Linda Barker, a resident of Sioux Falls, SD, on her selection as the 
recipient of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation's annual Spirit of 
Sioux Falls Award.
  The Spirit of Sioux Falls Award is given annually in memory of the 
eight people who were killed when then South Dakota Gov. George 
Mickelson's plane crashed in 1993. This year, the recipient was Linda 
Barker, a member of the community who has shown leadership and 
commitment to the economic development in Sioux Falls. Dan Scott, 
President of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, said that Linda, 
who is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Development 
Foundation, was chosen because she ``has been an incredibly valuable 
member of the Board of Directors. Not just because she has attended the 
meetings, but because she has been in our office on a weekly basis 
offering any kind of help the staff needed.''
  During her service with the South Dakota Development Foundation, she 
was instrumental in a number of ways. In addition to her work with the 
Forward Sioux Falls program, her leadership helped the Development 
Foundation acquire enough land to serve as development parks for the 
next fifteen years. According to Mr. Scott, they are now well prepared 
to handle the needs in the development park arena for the future. She 
was also instrumental in serving as chairman of the membership 
committee--essentially revitalizing and reenergizing their membership 
effort, raising the number from 350 to 400 members.
  Linda's involvement in the Sioux Falls area comes from her love of 
the community. In her thirteen years as part owner of Business Aviation 
Services in Sioux Falls, she was instrumental in helping the company 
more than quadruple its business, increasing sales from $4 million to 
$18 million annually. The company has also added 100 employees and it 
now owns or manages 48 aircraft, compared with six in 1990, when Linda 
joined the ownership team. Dale Froehlich, president and chief 
executive officer of Business Aviation, said Linda's success is 
``because of her unwillingness to give up, even in the dreariest of 
situations.'' It is this type of hard work and dedication that led 
Linda to her success and her subsequent recognition with the Spirit of 
Sioux Falls Award.
  This prestigious award is a reflection of her extraordinary 
leadership, skill and commitment to South Dakota. I am pleased that her 
success is being publicly recognized, and I am confident that her 
achievements will serve as an exemplary model for talented South 
Dakotans throughout our state. People of all ages need to think more 
about how we, as individual citizens, can work together at the local 
level to ensure the health and vitality of our towns and neighborhoods. 
Citizens such as Linda Barker are examples to all of us. She is an 
extraordinary individual who richly deserves this distinguished 
recognition. I strongly commend her hard work and dedication, and I am 
very pleased that her efforts are being publicly honored and 
celebrated.
  It is with great honor that I share her impressive accomplishments 
with my colleagues.

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