[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 76 (Monday, May 18, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            JOE KECK TRIBUTE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SCOTT R. TIPTON

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 18, 2015

  Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Joe Keck. As 
the director of the Small Business Development Center in Southwest 
Colorado, Mr. Keck has played a vital role in enhancing the lives of 
the citizens in the Four Corners region.
  A graduate of Fort Lewis College, Mr. Keck has been an inspiring and 
impactful force to the small business community of Southwest Colorado 
since 1975. Joe assisted the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian 
Tribes in a planning and economic advisory capacity before becoming a 
small business owner himself in 1993. Today, he and his wife carry on 
that tradition as joint-owners of Susie's Hallmark in Cortez. By 
providing counseling, training and other program services tailored to 
the individual needs of small businesses, Joe has helped many 
businesses manage the uneasiness of the startup phase so that they may 
then grow and prosper.
  A tireless and dedicated pillar of the community, Mr. Keck's role as 
a public servant spans across multiple organizations. Including a 
lengthy stint of eight years of service on the Cortez City Council, Joe 
has sat on the Colorado Aeronautical Board and Region 9 Economic 
Development District Board. To ensure fair representation of Western 
Colorado in the legislature, he has been an active member of Club 20 
and worked vigorously as a member of its board of directors.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Keck's selfless work and dedication to serving his 
community is truly to be admired. I stand with the residents of 
Southwest Colorado in thanking Joe and congratulating him on a 
remarkable career of public service. I'm honored to know Joe and even 
though he is retiring from his post as the director of SBDC, he leaves 
with us an enriched Southwestern community situated for a successful 
future.

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