[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 147 (Thursday, December 4, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6346-S6347]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO AL FELDSTEIN

 Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I wish to recognize an outstanding 
public servant of Western Maryland, Al Feldstein, who will be retiring 
at the end of this year after 42 years of public service. As 
Appalachian Regional Commission, ARC, State Program Manager for 
Maryland, Al has played a critical role in the success of countless 
projects and initiatives aimed at advancing economic progress and 
improving the lives of the residents of Maryland's three Appalachian 
counties. His passion for his community is boundless, and his careful 
stewardship of public resources has consistently set a high standard to 
which we can--and should--all aspire.
  An exemplary leader in public service, Al's positions as grants 
administrator with Tri-County Council for Western Maryland and ARC 
State program manager at the Maryland Department of Planning enabled 
him to realize the importance of investing in Federal, State, private, 
and local economic development projects. He was committed to creating 
conditions for economic growth, many of which strengthened parts of the 
Appalachian region by constructing and improving basic public 
infrastructure.
  Under Al's leadership, several rural counties in Western Maryland 
have benefited from carefully targeted ARC investments in economic 
development--including the financing of high-speed telecommunications 
infrastructure to increase local and regional connectivity and 
affordability. These accomplishments have leveraged far greater support 
for workforce development and job creation in a region that continues 
to battle economic distress, high unemployment rates, and severe 
educational disparities.
  ARC's regional development roles--as advocate, knowledge builder, 
partner, investor, and catalyst--underlie the commission's strategy to 
invest in people, basic infrastructures, and job creation and 
retention. ARC helps create economic opportunities by making its funds 
available for seed capital, gap funding, and investments in innovative 
programs. Although the Appalachian region has not fully achieved 
socioeconomic party with the rest of the Nation, greater involvement in 
the region--not only through funding but also public service like 
Al's--will continue to help Appalachia's communities take advantage of 
emerging economic opportunities and diversification.
  Knowing that accomplishing the four goals of ARC's strategic plan 
requires intense collaboration and civic engagement, Al was steadfast 
in working to achieve these objectives: to increase job opportunities 
and per capita income, strengthen the capacity of Appalachia's citizens 
to compete in the

[[Page S6347]]

global economy, improve the region's infrastructure, and build the 
Appalachian Development Highway System.
  In working to make the region more economically competitive, ARC's 
model of development, based on community support, creates sustainable, 
lifelong solutions that likewise stress the value of service at all 
levels. The hundreds of annual projects funded by ARC, all of which 
address one or more of the strategic plan's goals, further demonstrate 
the intrinsic significance of public service and its vital role in 
planning for a better future.
  ARC approves funding for more than 400 projects annually throughout 
the 13-State region, including both highway projects and access road 
projects. The projects have invested funding and resources in a range 
of sectors that directly impact economic development in the Appalachian 
region, including child development, community infrastructure, 
transportation, arts and culture, career and technical education.
  Maryland's projects have included the formation of Allegany County 
Connect 2 Compete, created to boost educational achievement and 
attainment, and increasing health-care access through Allegany County 
Public Health Accreditation. Another federally funded program in 
Maryland, HRDC Head Start Facility, provides services to low-income 
families with small children, promoting school readiness, health, and 
parent involvement in an educational environment. In Frostburg, a 
project called Frostburg Grows: Grow it Local Greenhouse involves 
conversion of unused mined land into an innovative five-acre greenhouse 
and shade house complex, designed to create additional job 
opportunities, reduce food insecurity, and provide local and healthy 
food to the residents of Western Maryland.
  As Hillary Clinton once remarked, ``Aid chases need; investment 
chases opportunity.'' Al internalized this message, focusing on the 
implementation and improvement of reforms to foster, protect, and fully 
benefit the lives of Marylanders. This dedication to public service 
helped define and differentiate the various communities he served, and 
illustrates the many, varied possibilities of public service--not 
limited to elected office. Serving on scores of local, State, and 
national committees only cemented Al's involvement in civic life.
  While Al championed community involvement and public service, ARC's 
structure also ensures an active Federal-State-local partnership rooted 
in cooperation. One of ARC's guiding principles is to support inclusive 
local decisionmaking, and to cultivate a collaborative problem-solving 
culture in which community achievements are made possible through 
collective efforts and investments. ARC's development of new strategic 
plans relies heavily on obtaining citizen input on high-priority 
regional issues, promoting homegrown solutions. ARC awards program 
grants to State and local agencies, governmental entities, local 
governing boards, and nonprofit organizations: targeting the region's 
specific needs, and executing plans that reinforce the necessity of 
teamwork and commitment.
  Al, too, recognized the fundamental importance of working together to 
strengthen the capacity of interdependent elements: individual leaders, 
organizations, and the community as a whole. Working in tandem, broad-
based leadership structures and institutions not only spur change but 
also encourage the establishment of new business and economic 
opportunities that can strengthen a community while diversifying its 
base.
  Just as ARC's strategy creates a framework for building on past 
accomplishments to help move Appalachia forward, so, too, did Al bridge 
his vision of the rich, fruitful past with his present--capitalizing on 
existing assets and acknowledging the importance of public service in 
improving communities. I ask my colleagues to join me today in 
recognizing the contributions Al made to the State of Maryland and to 
our Nation.

                          ____________________