[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 8 (Thursday, January 12, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E55-E56]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING MR. RICHARD THOMAS

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 12, 2017

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I, along with Congressman 
Huffman, rise today to honor Richard Thomas, the recipient of the 2017 
Nick Frey Community Contribution Award. This award was established by 
the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission in 2013 to recognize members of 
our community who have made important contributions to grape growing.
  A Sonoma County native, Mr. Thomas graduated from Santa Rosa High 
School, where he was an award-winning member of the Future Farmers of 
America. He studied agriculture at the University of California, Davis, 
before going on to work as a vocational agriculture instructor at 
Healdsburg High School and livestock manager of the Sonoma County Fair.
  Mr. Thomas saw Sonoma County's potential for viticulture and became 
an instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College, where he taught thousands 
of vineyard owners and workers throughout his 28 year career. He enjoys 
sharing that ``God put Sonoma County on earth for one reason: to 
produce great wines.'' His past students are now at the helm of many of 
the great viticulture operations in our Sonoma County wine community 
today.
  Mr. Thomas is a life-long learner and educator. After taking a 
sabbatical to study wine trellising in New Zealand and Australia, he 
brought the skills he acquired back to winegrowers in California, 
helping to shape the look of Sonoma County Vineyards. He has lectured 
in the United States and around the world, sharing his mastery of grape 
growing.

[[Page E56]]

He is the founder of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Association and 
the Sonoma County Vineyard Technical Group, which support our community 
by discussing and implementing the best practices in grape production.
  Mr. Speaker, Richard Thomas has been a leader in the transformation 
of Sonoma County into some of the best of Wine Country. He is respected 
as a world-class educator and our Sonoma community considers him the 
Dean of Sonoma County grape production. Therefore, it is fitting and 
proper that we honor him here today and congratulate him on this well-
deserved award.

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