[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 198 (Tuesday, December 5, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S7844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO VIRGIL BERNERO

 Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, today I wish to pay special 
tribute to my friend, Virgil Bernero, who will be ending his service as 
mayor of Lansing, MI, at the end of this year.
  This is a special opportunity for me to recognize Virg's outstanding 
service to the people of Lansing. I have represented Lansing throughout 
my years in public service, so I have had the opportunity to work 
closely with Virg.
  Virg and I share something in common: We both began our public 
service careers as an Ingham County commissioner, State representative, 
and State senator. He was first elected mayor of Lansing in 2005. He 
has served with a unique passion and energy for public service. He is 
devoted to his family and has worked on behalf of families he has 
represented with the same devotion and commitment.
  While mayor, Virg led Lansing through the recession and, despite 
facing major budget shortfalls, was able to maintain 12 consecutive 
balanced budgets and produce a budget surplus during each of the last 3 
years.
  He led efforts to attract new business investments in the city, 
including a $182 million repurposing of a former electric powerplant 
into the headquarters of a major national insurance company. He worked 
to foster regional cooperation and economic development efforts and led 
the creation of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership, the Lansing 
area's first regional economic development public-private partnership.
  During the automotive crisis, Virg organized Michigan mayors and led 
a passionate and aggressive defense of the American auto industry, 
which is one of Lansing and mid-Michigan's backbone industries. He 
founded and led the Manufacturing Alliance of Communities, a national 
coalition of mayors that worked to secure Federal support for our 
automobile industry. Since that time, General Motors has invested more 
than $1 billion in their Lansing facilities and recently moved 
production of the Chevrolet Camaro from Canada to the Lansing Grand 
River assembly plant.
  I am grateful for Virg's friendship and congratulate him on his years 
of extraordinary service. I wish him and his family all the best as he 
begins this new chapter in his life.

                          ____________________