[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 26 (Thursday, February 16, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S848]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING THE LANSING REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

 Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, my colleague Senator Carl Levin 
and I would like to pay tribute to the Lansing Regional Chamber of 
Commerce on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of its annual dinner.
  From the very first dinner held in 1912 to the present, the Lansing 
Regional Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner has played a significant 
role in bringing business and community leaders together to celebrate 
exciting developments in the region. Although the format of the evening 
may have changed over the years, the mission remains the same: to serve 
as the premier business networking event of the year and to celebrate 
the contributions of individuals and organizations that make the region 
great.
  The group of Lansing area business leaders who formed the Lansing 
Business Men's Association certainly paved the way for the tradition 
that is celebrated today. After changing their name to the Lansing 
Chamber of Commerce, Ransom E. Olds, founder of Oldsmobile, addressed 
the first annual meeting at the Masonic Temple. The association had 
encouraged him to come back to Lansing from Detroit and build a 
factory, which he did. This clearly established the chamber as the 
community leader in fostering economic growth and creating jobs.
  I am very proud that the Lansing Chamber founded the now 
internationally known ATHENA Award in 1982. What started as a visionary 
way to support, develop and honor local women leaders, has now become a 
global movement with more than 6000 awards presented in 500 communities 
in the United States, Canada, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and the 
United Kingdom.
  It is exciting that on February 22, 2012, the 100th Annual Dinner 
will be celebrated at the Lansing Center. This event will not only 
celebrate the chamber's history and the many people who made things 
happen over the past 100 years, it will include updates from current 
business leaders and the presentation of the 2011 Community Service, 
Outstanding Small Business and Legacy Awards.
  More than just a dinner, this event showcases the businesses and 
people who have helped make this region into what it is today and shape 
its future. We are pleased to congratulate the Lansing Regional Chamber 
of Commerce on this special occasion and wish them many more years of 
success.

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