[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 162 (Friday, December 16, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13779-S13780]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING CHARLES R. ADAMS

 Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment and 
honor a man who has greatly served his community and his Nation for 
more than 38 years.
  Charles R. Adams retired from his position of National Employee 
Development Center Director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 
Natural Resources Conservation Service, NRCS, in Fort Worth, TX, on 
November 3, 2005.
  Charles learned the importance of self-development at an early age 
while growing up on his family farm in Logansport, LA. His parents, the 
late Mr. T.C. Adams and Elneva Adams, gave him and his 10 siblings 
firsthand experience in working the land, and he still carries those 
experiences with him today.
  After leaving Logansport, Charles graduated from Southern University 
at Baton Rouge with a bachelor of science in agronomy. He received his 
master's degree in public administration from Harvard University in 
Cambridge, MA, in 1983 and has Ph.D. studies in urban and public 
affairs at the University of Texas in Arlington.
  His impressive career with USDA spans some 38 years, having held some 
of the top positions in his Agency, including regional conservationist 
for the NRCS Southeast Region, based in Atlanta, GA, from 1997 to 2004, 
director of the National Employee Development

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Center, based in Fort Worth, TX, from 1993 to 1997, South National 
Technical Center associate director, also based in Fort Worth, from 
1992 to 1993, and water quality coordinator at the center from 1990 to 
1992.
  Before that Charles served as NRCS's State Conservationist for 
Arizona, based in Phoenix, from 1988 to 1990, after having been the 
State Conservationist for Nevada, based in Reno, from 1986 to 1988. He 
was the Deputy State Conservationist in New Mexico, based in 
Albuquerque, from 1985 to 1986, after having been the Assistant State 
Conservationist for Operations at that location from 1984 to 1985.
  Charles worked as an area conservationist in Rio Rancho, NM, from 
1983 to 1984, after working as an area conservationist in Flagstaff, 
AZ, from 1981 to 1982. From 1978 to 1981 he served as a district 
conservationist in Edinburg, TX, following service from 1976 to 1978 as 
a district conservationist in Eastland, TX. He was a soil 
conservationist for the agency in Abilene, TX, from 1973 to 1976. He 
began his full-time career with the agency as a soil scientist in 
Athens, TX, in 1969.
  During his tenure with USDA, Charles founded some of the Agency's 
most innovative approaches to outreach, including the Student Trainees 
in Agriculture Related Sciences, STARS, program, an initiative to 
introduce underserved high school students in the Southeast to 
agriculture, as well as NRCS's American Indian Program Delivery 
Initiative, an annual conference linking USDA officials with American 
Indian leaders to promote tribal participation in USDA programs and 
services.
  While working for NRCS, Charles Adams has received a number of awards 
and recognitions. Within the last few years alone, he received several 
USDA Honor Awards, including the Secretary's Award for his leadership 
of the Southeast Region American Indian Initiative Workgroup and the 
Sustainable Coffee Production Team, and his work in the Agency's 
Streamlining and Cost-saving Initiative. He received special 
recognition through a national volunteer award for his longstanding 
dedication to the NRCS Earth Team Volunteer Program and was the 
recipient of the Chief's Workforce Diversity Award which praised his 
encouragement and promotion of professional development among his 
employees. In addition, his extensive outreach efforts to minorities 
and women earned him a nomination for the Agency's highest Civil Rights 
Award in 2003.
  Charles is married to the former Prenella Williamson of Port Gibson, 
MS. In his spare time, he enjoys raising horses on his ranch in 
Shreveport, LA, restoring his collection antique cars and fishing with 
his young grandsons.

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