[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 200 (Thursday, December 7, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S7927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO WALTER STRONG

 Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I am pleased to recognize Mr. 
Walter Strong on the occasion of his retirement. Walt has led the 
University of Oklahoma's Max Westheimer Airport, OUN, for 19 years and 
has a lifelong dedication to the aviation community. Under his 
leadership, the Max Westheimer Airport has demonstrated it is one of 
the best flight schools in the Nation, organizes successful pilot fly-
ins, and maintains a youth outreach program to encourage the next 
generation to get involved in flying.
  Mr. Strong began his career in aviation in the U.S. Air Force, 
working as an air traffic controller in both control tower and radar 
approach control facilities. Retiring after 20 years of service in the 
Air Force, Mr. Strong began working at the Oklahoma Aeronautics 
Commission, rising to the level of deputy director. He was one of 
Oklahoma's first airport inspectors. From 2004 to 2005, he served as 
the president of the Oklahoma Airport Operators Association. A pillar 
of the Oklahoma aviation community, Mr. Strong was awarded the 
``Airport Manager of the Year'' in 2011, the same year that Max 
Westheimer Airport was recognized as ``Airport of the Year.'' In 2016, 
under his leadership, the Max Westheimer Airport received the Willie F. 
Card Contract Tower Service Award from the Federal Aviation 
Administration, which recognizes one tower each year for embodying 
Willie Card's vision of a tower that places profound emphasis on both 
safety and efficiency.
  At the Federal level, Mr. Strong has been a passionate advocate for 
aviation, serving on the board of the American Association of Airport 
Executives and as the chair of the U.S. Contract Tower Association and 
ensuring that all Members of Congress are aware of the importance of 
general aviation to their constituents and to their communities.
  I know that I join his family, the Max Westheimer Airport, and the 
University of Oklahoma community in thanking him for his years of 
service and contributions to the aviation community. Congratulations on 
your retirement.

                          ____________________