[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 10, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E604-E605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   NORTHWEST INDIANA BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2009

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 10, 2009

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, it is with deep respect and admiration 
that I rise to commend five exceptional business leaders from Northwest 
Indiana who will be honored as the Northwest Indiana Business and 
Industry Hall of Fame's class of 2009. Created by The Times and 
BusINess magazine, induction into the Indiana Business and Industry 
Hall of Fame is determined by a panel of local civic and business 
leaders. While there were many deserving nominees, the individuals 
selected as the 2009 Indiana Business and Industry Hall of Fame 
inductees are: Calvin Bellamy, Don Burrell, Bruce Leetz, Cynthia 
Powers, and Burton Ruby. For their many contributions to the 
enhancement of Northwest Indiana, these honorees will be recognized at 
a ceremony taking place at the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza in 
Merrillville, Indiana, on Thursday, March 12, 2009.
  Cal Bellamy is the former president and chief executive officer of 
the former Bank Calumet, where he worked for an astonishing thirty-one 
years. Having served as Bank Calumet's CEO for twenty-four of those 
years, Cal made a lasting impression on the Northwest Indiana community 
through his immense dedication to many worthwhile causes. Now an 
attorney with Krieg DeVault LLC, where he specializes in financial 
planning, Cal has continued to champion the needs of his community. 
From working to improve schools to working to develop small businesses 
and affordable housing, Cal has led the charge toward bettering the 
quality of life in Northwest Indiana.
  Don Burrell is the founder and President of Burrell Color Imaging in 
Crown Point, Indiana. Don, having gotten his start in the business 
world with a few hundred dollars he obtained from the sale of his car, 
truly understands what hard work and perseverance can attain. This is 
why a key aspect of his business strategy is to respect his employees 
and allow them to advance to their full potential. While his business 
has been very successful, it is Don's commitment to those most in need 
that is most commendable. Throughout the years, Don's staunch support 
for the Burrell Cancer Institute at Saint Anthony's Medical Center and 
the Saint Jude House women's and children's shelter has been truly 
remarkable.
  Bruce Leetz joined North Coast Distributing in 1963 as a driver. By 
1970, he was named president of the family owned business that has 
grown to become a multi-million-case distributor based out of 
Valparaiso, Indiana. Bruce's explanation for the success is the company 
culture, which is based on values that he has always lived by: passion, 
respect, integrity, commitment, and excelling, which he refers to as 
the PRICE of success. While other companies throughout Northwest 
Indiana have surely replicated this structure, it is the exemplary 
commitment to their community that set Bruce Leetz and North Coast 
Distributing apart. In 2008 alone, North Coast raised nearly $80,000 
for Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital to help find a cure for 
childhood cancer.

[[Page E605]]

  Cynthia Powers is the owner of Century 21 Powers Realty, Inc. Well-
respected and well-known for her success as a businesswoman in 
Northwest Indiana, she may be even more recognizable for her 
immeasurable contributions to her church and her community. As a cancer 
survivor, Cynthia truly understands the importance of faith, and her 
commitment to her church, First African Methodist Episcopal Church in 
Gary, can be seen in the more than twenty years she has led the youth 
choir. In the Northwest Indiana community, a more giving person could 
not be found. To name a few of her contributions, Cynthia has served as 
chairman and on the board of directors for the Lake Area United Way, 
and she has served on the board of directors for The Discovery 
Alliance, Tradewinds, and the Friends of Hospice of the Calumet Area.
  Burton ``Bud'' Ruby, chairman of Jamar-Ruby, has spent over seventy 
years with the company founded by his father over ninety-three years 
ago. After learning the trade from the shop floor, Bud advanced in the 
ranks, eventually becoming president and chief executive officer in 
1957. Today, at age 89, Bud remains chairman of the company, which now 
conducts business under the name Trans-Apparel Group. In addition to 
his success as a businessman, Bud knows a thing or two about serving 
his community; he is a World War II veteran. Locally, Bud has served 
the community through his service with several councils and 
foundations, including: the Duneland Health Council, where he serves as 
its chairman, and the Purdue University North Central Chancellor's 
Advisory Board and the Unity Foundation of LaPorte County, where he 
serves on each of their boards of directors. Additionally, he has been 
a member of Rotary International since 1939.
  Madam Speaker, I ask you and my distinguished colleagues to join me 
in commending these outstanding leaders on their induction into the 
Indiana Business and Industry Hall of Fame. These individuals are most 
deserving of being named the class of 2009, and for their leadership 
and commitment to the Northwest Indiana community, each of the 
recipients is worthy of our respect and admiration.

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