[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 109 (Thursday, July 22, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1404-E1405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   A TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE SETH HAMMETT, RETIRING SPEAKER OF THE 
                    ALABAMA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 22, 2010

  Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable 
service of a true public servant from my home State of Alabama. A 
native of Andalusia, Seth Hammett is retiring this year as Speaker of 
the Alabama House of Representatives and Representative for the 92nd 
House District serving Covington and Escambia counties.
  Speaker Hammett, a pilot in the United States Air Force and founder 
and president of

[[Page E1405]]

the First National Bank of Andalusia, was first elected to the Alabama 
State House of Representatives in 1978.
  Since that time, the speaker has been regarded as truly one of the 
most effective leaders ever to serve in the Alabama House of 
Representatives. Not only has he earned bipartisan respect from his 
colleagues in the Alabama House, but organizations such as the Business 
Council of Alabama and the Alabama Rural Electric Cooperatives, to name 
just a few, have time and again called upon Seth for his calm 
leadership and sound judgment.
  During his time in office, Speaker Hammett has become a fierce 
proponent of higher education. For over a decade, he served Lurleen B. 
Wallace Community College as its president. Additionally, his efforts 
have earned him many awards, including the Courage of Conviction Award 
given by the Higher Education Partnership, The Legislative Leadership 
Award given by the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools and the 
Legislative Award given by the Alabama Association of School Boards.
  Due to his strong convictions and commitment to serving the State of 
Alabama, Speaker Hammett has also been the recipient of the Children's 
Hero Award given by the Alabama Department of Human Resources and the 
Meritorious Service Award given by the Montgomery Advertiser. In 
addition to these honors, Seth was named Citizen of the Year for the 
city of Andalusia and a Guardian of Small Business by the National 
Federation of Independent Businesses.
  Speaker Hammett also had the honor of serving as chairman of the 16-
State Southern Legislative Conference as well as president of the 
National Speakers Conference. He is currently a member of the Executive 
Committee for both conferences.
  In his business life, he also serves the vice president of business 
development for PowerSouth Energy Cooperative and as president emeritus 
of Lurleen B. Wallace Community College.
  Madam Speaker, in addition to his undying commitment to his 
community, Speaker Hammett is an equally devoted father and husband. He 
and his lovely wife, Nancy, have been blessed with a wonderful family 
that includes adult children and grandchildren. He is also an active 
member of the First United Methodist Church of Andalusia.
  Speaker Hammett has been the epitome of a servant leader and has 
represented the great State of Alabama with unprecedented devotion. 
Over the years, he and I have had several occasions to work on economic 
development projects that have proven important to the State of Alabama 
and while it is with genuine sadness that I watch my good friend leave 
office, it is also with great gratitude that I thank him for his 
incredible life of service to our beloved Alabama.

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