[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 26, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E923]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORNING THE CAREER OF THOMAS BLANCHARD, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 26, 2018

  Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Thomas 
Blanchard whose knowledge and passion for the water led to a career of 
accomplishments as an urban and waterfront developer, as well as a 
tireless advocate promoting the limitless opportunities for 
preservation, recreation and tourism along the Erie Canal National 
Heritage Corridor.
  Tom's professional resume began in the state of Virginia as Economic 
Development Planner for the City of Norfolk, Model Cities Program in 
the early 1970's. He would go on to become Executive Director of the 
City of Portsmouth Community Action Organization and Director of the 
Department of Development for the City of Norfolk.
  As City of Norfolk Director of Development, Tom was directly involved 
in the acquisition and redevelopment of several key parcels of land, 
mostly along the waterfront, that led to revitalization and reuse from 
beach front residential to deep draft channel ship and barge terminals. 
As Executive Director of the Norfolk Recreational Facilities Authority, 
he managed the concept development and feasibility for NAUTICUS, The 
National Maritime Center, a $52 million waterfront themed attraction 
which opened in 1994.
  After serving as Executive Vice President of the Greater Norfolk 
Corporation from 1985 to 1989, he was recruited to New York State and 
my hometown of Buffalo as the executive director of Erie County's 
Horizons Waterfront Commission. It was said of Tom that his selection 
represented a quantum leap forward. He moved forward as well when the 
work of the Commission was merged into Empire State Development 
Corporation in 1995. His appointment as Director of Research and 
Planning for the Western New York Region continued his leadership role 
in planning, presenting and pushing for approvals to construct the Erie 
Canal Harbor project in downtown Buffalo and various projects in 
downtown Niagara Falls.
  His familiarity with the historical significance of the Erie Canal, 
an engineering marvel that has been in operation since 1825, made Tom 
Blanchard an inspired appointment to the Erie Canalway National 
Heritage Corridor Commission. As has been stated, ``the federally-
appointed Erie Canalway Commission, created by Congress in 2000, is 
tasked with managing activities of the National Heritage Corridor with 
financial support and technical assistance through the National Park 
Service.
  This new kind of national park called for a new kind of private-
public partnership to bolster and strengthen the implementation of the 
Corridor's award-winning Preservation and Management Plan. And once 
again, Tom stepped up in 2010 as the first Chair of the Erie Canalway 
Heritage Fund, a nonprofit that assists in carrying out the work of the 
Commission by securing additional private and public resources to 
preserve its historical significance and bolster its $300 million 
impact on the region.
  Tom's career has been characterized by excellence, as shown through 
the honors he has received; he is a member of the Omega Delta Epsilon 
Honorary Economics Society, an Old Dominion University School of 
Business and Economics Distinguished Alumni, and received the Edward de 
Luca Lifetime Achievement Award for Professional Excellence in Economic 
Development in 2001.
  His volunteer service on both land and sea extended beyond the Erie 
Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission to include a stint as 
chair of the National Council for Urban Economic Development, Norfolk 
Opportunities Industrialization Center and as Past Commodore of the 
Buffalo Yacht Club. An avid sailor, Tom also holds a U.S. Coast Guard 
Master Mariner Credential for 50-ton vessels operating in the Great 
Lakes and U.S. Inland Waters.
  Volunteerism extends to his wife Paula as well as they have teamed up 
with a dedicated committee to bring the largest concentration of tall 
ships to visit the Queen City in decades. Seven traditional rigsailing 
vessels are expected to highlight July 4, 2019 celebrations along our 
vibrant waterfront as ``Port of Call: Buffalo'' will serve as a visible 
link to Buffalo's rich maritime past.
  For almost fifty years, Tom Blanchard has been a visible link 
connecting past and present along the water's edge for the benefit of 
residents and visitors and we thank him for his expertise, unwavering 
commitment and service to his community.
  Mr. Speaker, as the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor 
Commission and Erie Canalway Heritage Fund Board of Directors meet at 
One Canalside in Buffalo on June 27, 2018, let me add my appreciation 
for their ongoing good work and join with them in acknowledging the 
significant contributions of Thomas Blanchard, Jr.

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