[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 138 (Thursday, November 13, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN RECOGNITION OF MR. MIKE GAYMON

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 13, 2014

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a strong 
community and business leader and outstanding citizen, Mike Gaymon. Mr. 
Gaymon has retired after more than 26 years as President and CEO of the 
Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce. He was honored at a Retirement 
Celebration on Thursday, October 23, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. at the Chamber 
of Commerce in Columbus, Georgia.
  A native of South Carolina, Mr. Gaymon has been in the chamber 
business for over thirty-eight years. He led chambers in South 
Carolina, North Carolina, and Alabama before moving to Columbus, 
Georgia in 1988 to serve as President and CEO of the Greater Columbus 
Chamber of Commerce.
  Mr. Gaymon has revolutionized the Columbus Chamber as well as the 
Columbus community in many ways during his long tenure as President. He 
spearheaded the Need for Land project between Fort Benning and 
Columbus, which resulted in land for the Muscogee Technology Park. He 
oversaw the Chamber's Riverfront Committee, which worked to set the 
stage for development of the riverfront, including the Riverwalk, one 
of the longest river walks in the nation, spanning 15 miles along the 
banks of the Chattahoochee River. The Chamber was actively involved in 
the first SPLOST in 1993, which opened the door for the construction of 
the new Civic Center and the enhancement of Golden Park, where the 1996 
Olympics Women's Softball Tournament was held. Mr. Gaymon also led the 
Chamber in forming the Valley Partnership, one of the largest and most 
successful regional economic development organizations. Additionally, 
the Chamber created the Young Professionals Program, which has over 650 
members representing over 200 companies.
  Under Mr. Gaymon's leadership, the Chamber became the first five-star 
chamber in Georgia and one of only twenty-seven in the nation in 
November 2006. He will leave the Chamber in good shape with a $3 
million annual operating budget and a steady membership of about 1,250 
firms, a majority of those small businesses. His economic development 
accomplishments exceed $5.3 billion dollars with nearly 60,000 new jobs 
generated or retained.
  Mr. Gaymon has been selected by his peers as the Georgia Chamber 
Executive of the Year and has been named as Georgia Tech's Top 
Presenter for Economic Development Workshop and one of Top Five 
National Instructors by the U.S. Chamber. He also has been named as one 
of the 100 Top Influential Georgians by Georgia Trend, among numerous 
other honors and distinctions.
  The city of Columbus has also felt the waves of change emanating from 
the renovated old train depot where the Chamber is housed. In 2013, 
over 3,000 new primary jobs were created and more than $148 million was 
invested in the region. It is home to successful and renowned companies 
such as Aflac, TSYS, NCR, Pratt & Whitney, and Koch Foods, which as a 
whole have invested almost $3.5 billion into the region while creating 
more than 20,000 direct and indirect jobs. Furthermore, Columbus became 
the first Certified Literate Community in Georgia and has consistently 
been recognized as one of ``Top 100 Places to Live in America,'' ``100 
Best Places to Raise a Family,'' and ``Number 1 for Single Senior 
Citizens'' throughout the years.
  Mr. Gaymon has accomplished much in his life but none of this would 
have been possible without the love and support of his wife, Sheila, 
their children and grandchildren, and his parents.
  Dr. Benjamin E. Mays often said: ``You make your living by what you 
get, you make your life by what you give.'' We are so grateful that Mr. 
Gaymon has given his time and talents to shaping a team of dedicated 
business leaders to improve the city of Columbus and surrounding areas.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Mike 
Gaymon for his twenty-six outstanding years as President and CEO of the 
Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce. His energizing leadership has 
helped this organization transform the Columbus community for the 
better.

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