[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 9 (Monday, January 23, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E58]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNITION OF THE SERVICE OF VINCE PANVINI

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 23, 2012

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge and thank Vince Panvini 
for his decades of service on behalf of sheet metal workers locally, 
nationally and internationally. Panvini's retirement from his position 
as Director of Governmental Affairs for the Sheet Metal Workers' 
International Association is a great loss to the community of sheet 
metal workers and to the labor community as a whole.
  Throughout his career, Panvini has proven himself as a first-rate 
organizer and representative of his union members. For close to 50 
years, this second-generation sheet metal worker has been a member of 
Local Union 19 in Philadelphia. He won election as a Local 19 trustee 
and later to their Executive Board. He rose to an appointment as Local 
Union Organizer, then was appointed--and later elected--as Business 
Representative for the Local. After attending training at Harvard Trade 
School for International Labor Relations, he was appointed as Director 
of Governmental Affairs for the Sheet Metal Workers' International 
Association in January 1994.
  His success, friends and coworkers have said, is characterized by the 
fact that Panvini was ``born to do this work.'' His love of the job 
combined with his unparalleled memory and ``funny but stern'' 
personality has won him leagues of friends and allies. These attributes 
also won him great respect among peers, politicians, organizers, 
community leaders and union workers.
  The labor community's loss at Panvini's retirement, however, will be 
his family's gain--a noble tradeoff. With a return to Philadelphia, 
he'll get quality time with family, his top priority. Panvini has a 
son, a daughter and four grandchildren. On top of that, Panvini will 
have more time to cheer on his Philadelphia Eagles.
  I thank Vince Panvini for his years of service and wish him well in 
retirement.

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