[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 43 (Thursday, April 6, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E540]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E540]]
             IN APPRECIATION OF DOUG SIMS ON HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARION BERRY

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 5, 2006

  Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to one of my 
good friends, Mr. Doug Sims, a great leader in agriculture and the 
cooperative movement in America. Doug will retire from his post as 
Chief Executive Officer of CoBank this June after serving farmers, 
ranchers, farm cooperatives and rural communities for nearly 37 years. 
This will mark the end of a very successful career, and a very 
successful period in CoBank's history.
  I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Doug Sims for 
many years. As a farmer and a farm cooperative member, I know CoBank 
has always been there for the cooperatives that serve farmers and the 
rural communities in which they live. I have worked with Doug on a 
variety of important issues during my time in Federal office, both in 
the Executive branch, and now in Congress. Like others who have had the 
pleasure to work with Doug, I always found these efforts to be 
collaborative, professional efforts at building consensus to benefit 
cooperatives, rural communities, and the farm families that depend on 
them for their livelihoods and quality of life.
  Doug has steered CoBank through a long list of challenges since 
joining CoBank in 1988 as president and chief operating officer. Doug's 
success came from a long history of experience in the Farm Credit 
System, beginning as a credit analyst for the St. Louis Bank for 
Cooperatives in 1969. From this humble post, Doug rose to be president 
and chief operating officer of the Farm Credit Bank of St. Louis.
  While serving at the Farm Credit Bank of St. Louis, Doug acted as a 
key advocate for farmers, cooperatives, and the Farm Credit System, 
working with Congress and the Administration on critical legislation to 
protect the system from the agricultural economic and credit crises of 
the late 1980s. That far-reaching legislation paved the way for the 
modernization of the Farm Credit System, which has allowed the System 
to prosper and grow into the nation's largest single lender to 
agriculture and rural America, with over $135 billion in assets.
  Doug guided CoBank to new heights during his tenure with the company. 
Under his watch, CoBank nearly tripled its assets to $34 billion and 
enhanced its services to agricultural cooperatives, rural electric 
cooperatives, rural telecommunications companies, and agricultural 
exporters. When the financial services' competitive landscape became 
increasingly challenging, Doug successfully oversaw mergers, opened 
overseas offices, and nurtured CoBank into a highly respected financial 
services company domestically and internationally.

  Doug's service extends beyond CoBank's interests. He has served as 
Chairman of many other important organizations, including the National 
Council of Farmer Cooperatives, the Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding 
Corporation, the Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership at the 
University of Missouri, and Lutheran Family Services of Colorado.
  Mr. Speaker, these are all impressive achievements for an individual 
who began his education studying agriculture at the University of 
Illinois. But beyond all of these important accomplishments, what I 
admire most about Doug is his humble and inclusive leadership style. He 
is truly a leader who encourages teamwork, seeks to build consensus, 
bestows credit on those around him, and is not afraid to take 
responsibility when a leader is needed. I believe it is Doug's 
integrity that has made him a sought after participant and speaker for 
organizations ranging from the World Economic Forum in Geneva, 
Switzerland to the FarmHouse Foundation in Kansas City, Missouri.
  While I am confident CoBank and the Farm Credit System will miss 
Doug's daily contributions, his leadership has established a strong 
foundation that will help these institutions continue to successfully 
support agriculture and rural America.
  It has been my pleasure and privilege to know and work with Doug Sims 
for many years. I know that many of my colleagues will join me in 
wishing Doug and his wife Nancy many years of happiness, new 
challenges, and contributions in the years ahead.

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