[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 53 (Thursday, April 15, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2372-S2373]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                    SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY GROWTH

 Mr. BOND. Mr. President, one of the many blessings of being a 
U.S. Senator is the opportunity to be exposed to so many people who 
strive, work together, and improve their communities and our Nation 
every day.
  Despite hardship, America is a place where Americans face challenges 
as opportunities determined to see that tomorrow is always better than 
today. One powerful example is the partnership that exists in St. 
Joseph, MO, between community leaders and the Missouri Western State 
University. How pleasing it is to have members of the forward-leaning 
St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce led by Ted Allison come to 
Washington and, as usual, front and center among the distinguished 
group is the president of the University, Dr. Robert Vartabedian.
  How powerful it is to have Mr. Allison testify before the House 
Committee on Small Business, represented by his Congressman and 
committee ranking member, Sam Graves, and speak passionately about the 
job-producing power of the small business community such as exists in 
St. Joseph, and the importance of education to support small business 
productivity and growth.
  Dr. Vartabedian, and his predecessor, Dr. James Scanlon, share the 
view that the University does not exist in isolation but that the 
University should understand and serve the community just as the 
community, in this case, the Chamber of Commerce, and others, serve the 
University.
  Dr. Scanlon, who retired after 7 years in June of 2008, was a 
tireless head of the school and advocate for the community. Integrity 
and intellect served Dr. Scanlon's action-oriented approach which 
insisted upon customer-based performance. He never rested and he did 
not allow members of the St. Joseph community to rest either. After 
all, the community included future employers and neighbors of his kids 
and Dr. Scanlon was interested in them having productive and happy 
lives far beyond graduation.
  Originally a New Yorker, of all things, one would think Dr. Scanlon 
always lived in St. Joseph and intended never to leave, but his 
remarkable footprint continued under the current leadership and has 
provided a foundation for continued vision and performance. ``Oh happy 
day!'' became his trademark exclamation, and while I hope it was for 
Dr. Scanlon, I am certain that because of him, it has been for 
thousands of students and their faculty and community members.
  In a large part thanks to Dr. Scanlon, and now, Dr. Vartabedian's 
leadership, Western has thrived, becoming a source of pride for the 
community, region, and state.
  Western's statewide mission is applied learning. Remarkably, about 90 
percent of Western students completed at least one internship, 
practica, or faculty-student project by the time they graduate. In 
other words, Western students have classroom and real-world experience.
  Since 2001, the college has become a university, experienced its 
fifth straight year of record enrollments, doubled its laboratory space 
for sciences, undertaken to fill its capacity at the new Science & 
Technology Incubator, built up modern math and science capacity, began 
a new M.S. program in Nursing, became the summer home of the Kansas 
City Chiefs, and has seen the establishment of the Steven L. Craig 
School of Business.
  According to Missouri Western, the gift by Mr. Craig that made the 
new school possible ``means serious business for Western.''
  The generosity by Mr. Craig will not only launch another valuable 
path for students to develop value, but represents a strong endorsement 
of the Western program, and the sense of community in St. Joseph where 
Craig was born.
  Mr. Craig graduated from nearby Savannah High School before moving to 
California to graduate from the University of Southern California. He 
founded the Craig Realty Group, a Newport Beach, CA, company that owns 
and manages 13 upscale factory outlet centers in 6 states.
  The gift of $5.5 million was one of the very largest in the Nation 
and the largest individual gift to the university's foundation. In 
addition to being the largest individual gift to the university, these 
funds will directly enhance St. Joseph, MO, the Midwest region, and 
will be used to develop tomorrow's business leaders who should follow 
not only Mr. Craig's business model, but his model of selfless 
philanthropy as well.

[[Page S2373]]

  Missouri Western officials recognize that Mr. Craig's gift celebrates 
three of his qualities: entrepreneurial spirit, generosity, and faith.
  This conspiracy of goodness by a true working community on behalf of 
a future community membership is a model to applaud and to emulate. 
Doctors Scanlon and Vartabedian, Mr. Allison, Mr. Craig and all those 
who have locked arms with you leaders to plow forward, thank you and 
well done and, more importantly, well doing.

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