[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 101 (Thursday, June 26, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            IN RECOGNITION OF THE HONORABLE TRACEY L. PINSON

                                  _____
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 26, 2014

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and pleasure to 
extend my personal congratulations and best wishes to a great friend 
and outstanding servant of humankind, the Honorable Tracey L. Pinson, 
Director for the Office of Small Business Programs in the Office of the 
Secretary of the Army, and the highest-ranking female civilian in the 
Army acquisition career field. Ms. Pinson has excelled at this position 
since her first day as director in May 1995. She will be retiring on 
Monday, June 30, 2014.
  A Washington, D.C. native, Ms. Pinson earned a Bachelor of Arts in 
Political Science from Howard University in 1978 and a Juris Doctor 
from Georgetown University Law Center in 1982. Her career began on 
Capitol Hill on the House Committee on Small Business under Chairman 
Parren Mitchell. Rep. Mitchell, of Maryland's Seventh Congressional 
District, was known as the ``godfather'' of minority business expansion 
and development efforts.
  In 1986, Ms. Pinson was named as Assistant to the Director of the 
Office of Small Business Programs for the Office of the Secretary of 
Defense.
  In 1995, Ms. Pinson was appointed the Director of Small Business 
Programs in the Office of the Secretary of the Army. She manages the 
largest small business program in the federal government in terms of 
dollars. Under her leadership, the Army has awarded over $300 billion 
in contracts to small businesses.
  Ms. Pinson manages the Army Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities and Minority Serving Institutions Program and ensures 
these institutions are afforded an opportunity to participate in Army-
funded programs. Under her leadership, over $100 billion in Army awards 
have gone to HBCUs/MIs. She also headed an initiative to hire wounded 
warriors in her office. With their help, she has been able to steer 
over $50 billion to veteran-owned businesses. She has also worked to 
secure contract awards for women-owned businesses, companies located in 
areas of economic distress, and small businesses in disaster relief 
efforts.
  Throughout her career, Ms. Pinson has received numerous awards and 
accolades, including the Department of the Army Award--Decoration for 
Exceptional Civilian Service in 1998; the Presidential Rank Award for 
Meritorious Executive in 2002 and for Distinguished Executive in 2009; 
and the Department of the Army Award for Meritorious Civilian Service 
in 2014.
  Ms. Pinson's distinguished civil service has been mirrored by her 
extensive involvement in her community. In conjunction with her 
professional accomplishments in government, Ms. Pinson has served on a 
number of boards and commissions, most notably on the Board of 
Directors of the African American Federal Executive Association.
  Ms. Pinson has dedicated her career to advocating for disadvantaged 
small business owners. Because of her efforts, thousands of these small 
business owners have received contract awards to stimulate their 
businesses, create jobs and contribute to the economy. Indeed, Ms. 
Pinson has been a champion for small businesses across the nation and I 
am so grateful for the role she has played in upholding the American 
dream for thousands of Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our 
sincerest appreciation and best wishes to the Honorable Tracey L. 
Pinson upon the occasion of her retirement from a stellar career of 32 
years of service in the federal government and nearly 20 years as 
Director for the Office of Small Business Programs for the Secretary of 
the Army.

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