[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 151 (Tuesday, November 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2345]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING JOYCE MINARD

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MAURICE D. HINCHEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 15, 2005

  Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Joyce Minard for 
her distinguished career in public service and the outstanding 
contributions she has made to the community of New Paltz, NY, and the 
surrounding Hudson Valley region. Joyce has translated her commitment 
to community service into an accomplished career that has been defined 
by achievement and success. Her broad expertise in education, 
agriculture and business has supported many new initiatives and 
resulted in significant improvements in the regional business 
community.
  A high school internship at SUNY New Paltz introduced Joyce to the 
not-for-profit world and influenced her decision to attend Albany 
Business College. After stints at SUNY New Paltz, the Ulster County 
Farm Bureau and Ulster County BOCES, where she broadened her vision and 
honed her skills as an educator, advocate and leader, Joyce found her 
true home at the New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce.
  Beginning on a part-time basis, while raising her two children, Joyce 
quickly rose to the position of executive director in 1978. Under her 
leadership, the Chamber has grown from 47 members in 1979 to more than 
800, outgrowing one office space after another. Drawing on her 
considerable personal attributes, Joyce built a chamber that is 
veritably bursting with accomplishments. The New Paltz Regional Chamber 
of today employs a team of five, holds numerous events, offers 
extensive education programs, including customized workshops for small 
business owners, runs a busy visitors room, and publishes a newsletter 
and full-color regional guide. Together with other regional chambers, 
Joyce developed a Business Mentoring Program for Dutchess and Ulster 
Counties, matching emerging businesses with experienced 
businesspersons.
  As an accomplished mediator and consensus-builder, Joyce has led the 
Chamber in bringing together the many interests of the New Paltz 
community. She was among the initiators of the first Town/Gown meetings 
in the 1980s, providing a forum for community and University leaders to 
pursue common objectives and address differences. She raised the 
public's awareness of the agricultural community by promoting 
visitation of farms and education. And she provided the leadership 
needed to make the Chamber's most famous event, the Taste of New Paltz, 
a successful reality. The Taste is now in its 15th year and draws more 
than 8,000 participants.
  Mr. Speaker, Joyce Minard is being honored by the community she 
serves and loves. Her dedication and leadership--peppered with her 
irreverent sense of humor--have drawn many admirers and helped to 
establish New Paltz as one of the premier destinations in New York. 
Every endeavor that Joyce has pursued has been approached with 
professionalism and passion and she has built a reputation as an 
effective and dedicated advocate. I'm pleased to join my constituents 
in honoring Joyce for her tireless efforts on behalf of New Paltz and 
its surrounding communities.

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