[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1870]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        TRIBUTE TO NEAL WADE, ALABAMA'S TOP INDUSTRIAL RECRUITER

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                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2010

  Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the incredible 
contributions of one of America's top economic development recruiters, 
Mr. Neal Wade, who will soon leave his home State of Alabama after 
accumulating a most impressive record of accomplishments.
  Faced with many of the same economic challenges as other states, 
including the rapid decline of the textile industry, Alabama has spent 
much of the last decade recreating its image and reaching out to new 
industries.
  And even when you include the impact of the global recession, which 
has spared few, the results have been nothing less than impressive.
  Our State has made significant gains in landing a variety of top tier 
projects, including German steel manufacturer ThyssenKrupp Steel and 
Austal USA in my congressional district, as well as expansions in 
Alabama's automakers--Mercedes, Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota. We have 
also been at the forefront of developing our aerospace presence in ways 
once thought impossible with the commitment by EADS and Airbus to grow 
their U.S. footprint in the State of Alabama. Without question, the man 
at the helm of Alabama's economic development efforts during this 
productive period has been Neal Wade.
  Mr. Wade, a Sanford University graduate, spent the 1990's leading the 
Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. As president and CEO of 
the partnership of the State's leading businesses aligned to promote 
economic development, he demonstrated his unrivaled leadership 
capabilities and caught the eye of Governor Bob Riley who appointed him 
director of the Alabama Development Office in 2003.
  In this new capacity, Mr. Wade wasted little time courting major new 
industry, including ThyssenKrupp, National Railcar, and more recently, 
Hyundai Heavy Industries. His efforts did not go unnoticed outside of 
the State. Twice during his stewardship, the Alabama Development Office 
was named the top economic development agency in the United States.
  Mr. Wade recently announced that he is leaving his post at the ADO to 
become the senior vice president for economic development at the St. 
Joe Company. It is an understatement to say that Alabama will greatly 
miss the steady hand and wise counsel of Neal Wade. However, we wish 
him and his wife, Mary Ann, the very best in their future endeavors.
  Madam Speaker, Alabama is a different State--and a much better place 
to call home--because of the tremendous team of Governor Bob Riley and 
ADO Director Neal Wade. While we will miss this dynamic duo next year, 
the seeds of the new investment that Neal has helped plant over the 
past several years will no doubt bear fruit for generations to come.

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