[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 198 (Wednesday, December 11, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1576]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                         HONORING VIDAL DAVILA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DUSTY JOHNSON

                            of south dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 11, 2019

  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
and honor Vidal Davila for his retirement from the National Park 
Service after almost forty-five years of service.
   Mr. Davila has been a passionate servant for our nation's national 
parks his entire life. He grew up regularly visiting national parks, 
cultivating a passion for protecting and preserving public lands from a 
young age.
   Mr. Davila has served in an impressive number of public lands across 
the United States, including Texas' Amistad Recreation Area, Texas' Big 
Bend National Park, and Texas' Guadalupe Mountains National Park. He 
also served in the Southwest Regional Office in New Mexico, the Great 
Basin National Park in Nevada, and, of course, South Dakota's Wind Cave 
National Park.
   Wind Cave has greatly benefited from Mr. Davila's leadership over 
the past twelve years. Mr. Davila became Wind Cave's superintendent in 
2007 and was awarded Superintendent of the Year for Natural Resources 
by the Midwest Regional Director for his hard work and dedication to 
the park. He also has served as a member of the NPS Midwest Regional 
Office Bison Leadership Team since 2013 where he helped facilitate 
coordination between bison parks and National Park Service leadership.
   I commend Mr. Davila for his outstanding record of service, 
dedication, and hard work. I extend my deepest congratulations to Vidal 
Davila for his contributions to South Dakota and our nation's parks.

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