[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 76 (Tuesday, May 20, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3179-S3180]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO GIBB STEELE

 Mr. COCHRAN. Madam President, I am pleased to commend Mr. Gibb 
Steele of Longwood, MS, for his service and contributions to the State 
of Mississippi while serving as the 78th president of the Delta 
Council. On May 30, 2014, Mr. Steele will conclude his term as 
president. I am grateful for his leadership and dedication to improving 
the quality of life in the Mississippi Delta and the entire State. 
Since 1935, Delta Council has played an important role in the promotion 
of agriculture, flood control, and economic development in the delta, 
which is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world.
  Mr. Steele's tenure as council president coincided with the 
development and eventual enactment of the 2014 farm bill. Throughout 
that process, he provided beneficial input from Southern rice, cotton, 
corn, soybean, and catfish producers, which helped Congress craft a 
new, 5-year agriculture policy bill. He was committed to meeting the 
diverse needs of producers from various regions of the country who face 
different risks when providing food and

[[Page S3180]]

fiber for the Nation. Mississippi has a rich agricultural history, and 
agriculture and related businesses support the livelihoods of thousands 
of Mississippi families and communities. Mr. Steele's leadership over 
the past year contributed to the overall success of the farm bill 
endeavor, and I appreciate his advice and counsel related to serving 
the interests of our State.
  In addition to his role as president of Delta Council, Mr. Steele 
himself farms rice, soybeans, corn, and wheat on several thousand acres 
scattered throughout Washington County. He also holds leadership 
positions with the Mississippi Rice Promotion Board, the Mississippi 
Rice Council, and the USA Rice Federation, and is a commissioner of the 
Washington County Drainage Commission and past president of the 
Hollandale Rotary Club.
  Mr. Steele grew up on a small sheep farm in Greenwood. After earning 
a degree from Mississippi State University, he began farming with his 
father in Hollandale in 1973. Their farming operation has grown 20 
times the size of the roughly 500 acres they first cultivated in the 
early 1970s. Gibb Steele has achieved great success in agriculture, and 
his willingness to give back to the Delta region by serving as 
president of Delta Council is commendable. I applaud Mr. Steele for his 
service to Mississippi, and share this appreciation with his wife Pam, 
his son Gibson, and his two grandchildren.

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