[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 42 (Thursday, March 21, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE NORTHWEST INDIANA BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME'S 
                             CLASS OF 2013

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 21, 2013

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with deep respect and admiration 
that I rise to commend five exceptional leaders from Indiana who were 
recently honored as the Northwest Indiana Business and Industry Hall of 
Fame's Class of 2013. Created by The Times and BusINess magazine, 
induction into the Indiana Business and Industry Hall of Fame is 
determined by a panel of local civic and business leaders. While there 
were many deserving nominees, the individuals selected as the 2013 
Indiana Business and Industry Hall of Fame inductees include: former 
Senator Richard Lugar, Tom Collins Sr., Danita Johnson Hughes, Tom 
Sourlis, and Steve Teibel. For their many contributions to the 
enhancement of Northwest Indiana, these honorees will be recognized at 
a ceremony at the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza in Merrillville, 
Indiana, on Friday, March 22, 2013.
   Former Senator Richard Lugar, from Indianapolis, is the Lifetime 
Achievement Award recipient for 2013. Richard Lugar's first elected 
office was on the Indianapolis Public Schools Board of Commissioners, 
where he served from 1964 until 1967. He was then elected mayor of 
Indianapolis in 1967, and under his leadership the city and Marion 
County governments merged through Unigov. After serving two terms as 
mayor, Richard Lugar was elected to the United States Senate in 1976. 
During his 36 years in office, Senator Lugar proved to be a noteworthy 
leader, extending a positive influence upon urban policy, American 
agricultural policy, and foreign policy. He is an activist for American 
energy independence, strong national security, U.S. leadership in the 
world, and economic growth. Senator Richard Lugar and Senator Sam Nunn 
were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for the Nunn-Lugar 
Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, which reduced the nuclear threat 
created by the breakup of the former Soviet Union. Currently, Richard 
Lugar is working with Indiana University as a distinguished scholar and 
professor of practice in the university's new School of Global and 
International Studies. He also co-chairs the new Indiana University 
International Advisory Committee with former U.S. Representative Lee 
Hamilton. Senator Lugar is worthy of the honors bestowed upon him and 
we are truly blessed as a nation for his extraordinary career in 
American government.
   Tom Collins Sr., of Valparaiso, is the chief executive officer of 
Luke Oil, a family owned and operated business that was founded in 1967 
by Tom's father-in-law, Ralph Luke, in Hobart, Indiana. Currently, the 
company distributes more than 300 million gallons of fuel annually in 
the Midwest. Luke Oil's sales reached the $1 billion mark last year and 
their volume has grown 20 percent each year for the past five years. In 
2005, the company bought County Line Orchard, in Hobart, where they 
have held numerous fundraisers to benefit charities including the Food 
Bank of Northwest Indiana and various veterans' organizations. For his 
exemplary leadership skills, and his dedication to supporting 
charitable organizations, Tom Collins is to be commended.
   Danita Johnson Hughes is the president and chief executive officer 
of Edgewater Systems for Balanced Living in Gary. Edgewater is an 
organization that provides behavioral healthcare services to 
individuals and families in the community of Gary and throughout the 
region. Under Danita's remarkable leadership, the organization has 
become a respected resource for those in need, and through its 
services, Edgewater touches the lives of more than 100,000 people each 
year. Danita continues to give back to the community and dedicates much 
of her time to the One Region, One Vision initiative and the Northwest 
Indiana Forum.
   Tom Sourlis is the founder and chairman of Mortar Net Solutions, in 
Burns Harbor. Mortar Net, a product invented by Tom, prevents mortar 
droppings from clogging weepholes designed to allow water to exit a 
building wall. Mortar Net is a hugely successful product and is 
currently used on cavity wall construction throughout North America. In 
addition to his successful business, Tom devotes much of his time, 
efforts, and support to charitable organizations throughout Northwest 
Indiana, including Tradewinds, the Crisis Center, Parents as Teachers, 
and the Porter County Community Foundation. For his passionate devotion 
to such causes, Tom is worthy of the highest praise.
   Steven Teibel is the third generation of his family to own and 
operate Teibel's Family Restaurant, in Schererville, which originally 
opened in 1929. Due to Steven's tremendous leadership skills and 
excellent customer service, Teibel's continues to succeed and remains a 
staple in Northwest Indiana. Steven also dedicates much of his time and 
efforts to serving those in need and is very active in numerous 
community organizations, including Meals on Wheels, the Hammond YMCA, 
the American Heart Association, and the Shrine of Christ's Passion. For 
his commitment to community service, Steven is to be commended.
   Mr. Speaker, the lives of every citizen living in Northwest Indiana 
has been enriched because of the selfless good work of these five 
extraordinary individuals. I ask you and my distinguished colleagues to 
join me in commending these outstanding leaders on their induction into 
the Northwest Indiana Business and Industry Hall of Fame. These 
individuals are most deserving of this honor, and for their leadership 
and commitment to the Northwest Indiana community, each of them is 
worthy of our respect and admiration.

                          ____________________