[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 95 (Friday, June 8, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF JIM KOSTEVA FOR HIS CAREER OF SERVICE ON BEHALF OF 
                    THE SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 8, 2018

  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jim Kosteva as 
he retires from the University of Michigan. Jim has been an outstanding 
public servant who has served the students of southeast Michigan with 
distinction.
  After receiving his bachelor degree in Metropolitan Studies from 
North Central College, Mr. Kosteva took a position as the Director of 
Community Planning for Canton Township in southeast Michigan. It was 
there that his passion for the state and the issues facing Michigan 
residents grew. He was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives 
in 1984 where he served for four terms. During his tenure as a Michigan 
legislator, he focused on the issues of school finance reform, public 
transportation, solid waste management and land use. His legislation, 
the Michigan Education Trust, was passed into law during his first term 
and created one of the first pre-paid college tuition plans in the 
country. His years of effective public service and passion for 
education issues allowed him to excel in his next role as Director of 
Communications at the University of Michigan.
  Mr. Jim Kosteva joined the University of Michigan in 1994 as the 
Director of Community relations. In this position, he coordinates 
partnerships with local and national organizations, works with the City 
of Ann Arbor on issues of mutual concern and fosters philanthropic 
engagement among the student body and faculty. Under his leadership, 
the University has cultivated a meaningful relationship with the City 
of Ann Arbor that has led to the resolution of public and campus safety 
concerns as well as a 62.3 percent growth in Ann Arbor's tax base since 
2001. Mr. Kosteva is known by his colleagues and students for his 
creative and strong leadership as well as his passion for city-
university relations. Throughout his career, he has represented the 
University on a variety of local boards including the Ann Arbor Chamber 
of Commerce, the Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau and Washtenaw 
United Way. He has had a tremendous impact on the direction of the 
University of Michigan's community relations, and we look forward to 
his continued positive impact on our Michigan community in the coming 
years.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Jim Kosteva 
and his years of service to the southeast Michigan community. His 
dedication and tireless efforts on behalf of the University of Michigan 
made him an exemplary public servant.

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