[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 57 (Thursday, April 19, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2542-S2543]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO ALFRED RANKINS, SR.

 Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to commend Alfred 
Rankins, Sr., of Greenville, MS, for his tireless and effective 
leadership while serving on the Washington County Board of Supervisors. 
Mr. Rankins recently retired from the board following a long career 
dedicated to protecting and enhancing the lives of the residents of 
Greenville and Washington County, and people throughout the Mississippi 
Delta. Washington County has historically faced a unique set of 
challenges, and I am grateful for the board's consistent leadership in 
willingly addressing these challenges on a daily basis.
  Al Rankins has served Washington County long enough to understand the

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dynamics of the local economy and the needs of the region. Mr. Rankins 
served on the Board of Supervisors since 1990 and served as its 
president. His tenure was characterized by consistent focus on 
retaining and recruiting new businesses and industries to the area. 
During his career, Al Rankins has also been a member of the Mississippi 
Water Management Advisory Board and the Allied Enterprise Advisory 
Board. On the Delta Council, he served as the longtime chairman of the 
Council's Flood Control Committee and as chairman of the Development 
Department Board of Directors.
  Prior to serving in these important jobs, Al Rankins worked almost 21 
years as a police officer for the city of Greenville, retiring in 1990 
as deputy chief. He also served his country honorably during a tour of 
duty in Vietnam with the U.S. Air Force.
  Related to his career as a civic leader and business owner, Al 
Rankins has received many accolades and honors, including the Lifetime 
Achievement Award for Civil Service to the Community, the Outstanding 
Citizen Achievement Award, and the Outstanding Service to the Community 
Award. These awards are examples of the recognition extended to Mr. 
Rankins for his public service and community volunteer contributions to 
the Mississippi Delta Region.
  Al Rankins and his wife Mary are a credit to my great State. In 
conjunction with the end of his long service with the Washington County 
Board of Supervisors, I join many Mississippians in commending Alfred 
Rankins, Sr., for his dedication and service to the people of 
Mississippi.

                          ____________________