[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 130 (Friday, October 7, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S11304]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           NORMAN L. KIRKHAM

 Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 
many years of service Norman ``Norm'' L. Kirkham has provided to the 
people of southern West Virginia. For the last 19 years, Mr. Kirkham 
has held the position of executive director of the West Virginia Region 
I Planning and Development Council and worked tirelessly on various 
projects during the 10 years prior to that. This organization is a 
nonprofit public agency that coordinates with the Federal, State, and 
local governments to provide comprehensive planning for the coalfields 
of southern West Virginia. After numerous years of working with the 
citizens of McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers, and Wyoming 
Counties to improve their quality of life and develop the regional 
economy, Norm is retiring effective October 31, 2005.
  Many of Norm's colleagues praise him for his active role as the 
driving force behind the scenes, turning proposed plans and ideas into 
economic realities for southern West Virginia. One such example is a 
project to bring a new Federal prison to McDowell County, West 
Virginia. Over the last decade, I have worked alongside Norm to help 
develop a site for the prison and secure approval for the prison. As a 
result of his relentless hard work and determination, the new Federal 
prison will create 350 high-paying jobs in an area that desperately 
needs them. I am enormously proud to have worked with Norm on this and 
so many projects.
  During his tenure as executive director, Norm has helped to secure 
funds to provide flood relief to the flood-prone valleys and riverbanks 
of southern West Virginia, enhanced the water systems in towns such as 
Princeton, Welch, and Union, and lobbied for grant money to support 
senior citizen centers. In addition to advancing specific economic 
development projects, Norm has helped ease access to technology, 
sewage, and other forms of infrastructure throughout southern West 
Virginia.
  Without a doubt, Norm has contributed a great deal to his agency and 
to the people of southern West Virginia. His contributions are even 
more impressive when one considers the dire need for economic 
development in the southern West Virginia coalfields. Traditionally, 
the economy of southern West Virginia has relied heavily on the coal 
industry. Through coordination and planning, Norm and his agency have 
helped diversify the region's economy and tremendously enhance the 
infrastructural needs that are vital to development in southern West 
Virginia. Many successful economic development sites can be attributed 
to Norm's dedication to promoting and developing economic prosperity 
for every person and family in his region. Public servants in his line 
of work normally do not receive the recognition they deserve. Our State 
needs more people like Norm who dedicate their entire professional 
careers to ensure that people have adequate employment, roads, water, 
sewage, and other services and infrastructural needs commonly taken for 
granted.
  Always modest and never in the limelight, Norm is firmly rooted in 
rural Summers County where he inherited the values that make southern 
West Virginia a unique and wonderful area--service to community and 
nation and dedication to family and neighbors. Through his hard work 
and integrity, Norm has earned the respect of every local official in 
southern West Virginia; Federal and State officials; Governors, past 
and present; and the Members of the congressional delegation.
  In retirement, Norm can more fully devote himself to what he 
cherishes most in life--his family, his Summers County farm and his 
community. He will surely be missed at Region I and throughout all of 
West Virginia, but he leaves a career of good work that will last 
generations.
  I will sincerely miss working with Norm but I suspect even in 
retirement, some very worthwhile community projects are going to find 
themselves in need of a seasoned volunteer just like him. Regardless, I 
wish him the very best.

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