[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 166 (Friday, December 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1997]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING ERNIE LEE MAGAHA FOR HIS SERVICE AS THE CLERK OF THE 
       CIRCUIT COURT AND COMPTROLLER FOR ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FLORIDA

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                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 21, 2012

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize Ernie 
Lee Magaha for his service as the Clerk of the Circuit Court and 
Comptroller for Escambia County, Florida. For more than fifty-five 
years, Mr. Magaha has served the people of Escambia County with 
constant professionalism and an unwavering commitment to service.
  Mr. Magaha is a native northwest Floridian and a graduate of Century 
High School. After graduating from Century, Mr. Magaha enlisted in the 
Army and served our nation with honor and distinction in the South 
Pacific during World War II. In 1947, Mr. Magaha was honorably 
discharged from the Army, and he enrolled at Auburn University, where 
he graduated with a degree in Economics in 1950.
  After graduating from Auburn, Mr. Magaha returned to northwest 
Florida, where he married his wife, Lucile, and together they raised 
their two sons Ernie Lee, Jr. and James. In 1951, Mr. Magaha was hired 
as the Florida State Auditor in Escambia County. He worked in this 
position in the State Comptroller's Office until 1956, when he decided 
to run for elected office. Mr. Magaha's commitment to public service 
was evident to the voters of Escambia County, and in 1957 he took 
office as the Clerk of the Court.
  When Mr. Magaha was elected as the Clerk of Court, there were only 
three employees. Escambia County and the Clerk's office have grown 
immensely in Mr. Magaha's fifty-five years in office. Today, the 
Clerk's office serves a population of nearly 300,000 citizens. Thanks 
to Mr. Magaha's constant leadership, the Clerk's office has maintained 
an excellent service record and is an integral part of the northwest 
Florida community.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged 
to recognize Ernie Lee Magaha for his years of outstanding leadership 
and service to Escambia County. My wife Vicki and I wish Mr. Magaha and 
his family all the best.

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