[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 5 (Thursday, January 9, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S119-S121]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO CARTER HENDRICKS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as my good friend Carter Hendricks 
prepares to end his service as the mayor of Hopkinsville, he certainly 
has a lot to show for his years of leadership in Southwestern Kentucky. 
He has helped the region take full advantage of its great potential, 
and I know I join his friends and constituents in expressing our 
gratitude. Today, I would like to honor this remarkable Kentuckian and 
wish him well as he embarks on his next chapter.
  When he was first elected in 2014, Carter made headlines for becoming 
the second youngest mayor in Hopkinsville's two centuries of history. 
The local newspaper, the highly regarded Kentucky New Era, also 
reported that Carter was only the city's second Republican mayor. He 
quickly mobilized the city's administration with a bold strategy to 
make Hopkinsville an attractive destination for economic development. 
His flagship initiative, called ``Hoptown WINS,'' was a nearly $15 
million capital campaign involving downtown improvements, as well as 
new parks, a sports complex, and a visitors center. These state-of-the-
art amenities are meant to help draw investment and good jobs into 
Hopkinsville and the surrounding areas. Now halfway through his second 
term, Carter and his constituents are beginning to see the positive 
results of his leadership. His vision of Hopkinsville's bright future 
is helping to create the conditions for growth and prosperity.
  Carter had been encouraging economic growth in the region long before 
he first stepped foot into the mayor's office. For nearly a decade, 
Carter worked in senior positions at the Christian County Chamber of 
Commerce, including 4 years as its president and CEO. With local 
leaders and the business community, he helped develop creative 
solutions to the county's challenges.
  I have had the great privilege to work with Carter in both of these 
capacities. When I heard the area's lack of access to a Federal 
interstate was obstructing business investment, Carter and I teamed up 
to find a solution. In 2017, Senator Rand Paul and I secured the 
designation of a nearby section of the Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile 
Parkway as Interstate 169. When President Trump signed our provision 
into law, he helped connect Christian County to the Federal interstate 
system and bolstered Carter's efforts to encourage growth in the area.
  We also partnered to support the brave men and women stationed at 
Fort Campbell in Christian County. The installation is part of 
Kentucky's critical role in our national defense structure, and the 
local community takes seriously its responsibility to support Fort 
Campbell's mission and the servicemembers stationed there. During his 
time with the chamber, Carter led the business community's efforts to 
be strong and supportive neighbors. Together, we wanted to welcome

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all members of the military and their families to Kentucky, make them 
feel at home, and help them prosper in this community.
  Carter said he didn't take the decision to leave the mayor's office 
lightly. When the chance to lead the South Western Kentucky Economic 
Development Council became available, however, he leapt at the 
opportunity. Formed in 2012, the organization represents Christian, 
Todd, and Trigg Counties and engages with job creators looking for 
their new home. Carter admits the job will present new challenges, but 
I am confident he will bring the same knowledge, determination, and 
high energy that has led to so much success.
  Although the city will certainly miss Carter's daily leadership, he 
said, ``I'm not leaving the team--if anything I'm just in a slightly 
different position.'' At the economic development council, Carter will 
continue supporting the city's efforts and continue working toward the 
same goal. He is certainly lucky to have a proud cheering section in 
his wife Faye and their two children. I would like to thank Carter for 
his constant dedication to creating opportunities for families in West 
Kentucky and to congratulate him on his great achievements. I hope my 
Senate colleagues will join me in commending this talented Kentuckian 
for his leadership and service and in extending our best wishes as he 
steps into a new role.
  Mr. President, the Kentucky New Era in Hopkinsville recently 
published a profile of Carter's distinguished service. I ask unanimous 
consent that the article be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

               [From the Kentucky New Era, Jan. 7, 2020]

           Hendricks Shares Why He Pursued Position With EDC

                         (By Zirconia Alleyne)

       Hopkinsville Mayor Carter Hendricks announced Monday 
     afternoon that he will resign in order to accept the 
     executive director position with the South Western Kentucky 
     Economic Development Council.
       His official resignation letter and date were not released 
     as of press time Monday.
       Hendricks, who is in his second term as mayor, called a 
     meeting with city staff at the same time the SWKEDC met 
     across town Monday to determine he was the best candidate for 
     the role left vacant in November when Mark Lindsey resigned.
       The Kentucky New Era broke the news shortly after the EDC 
     came out of closed session.
       Hendricks had just wrapped his meeting with staff telling 
     them he was a candidate and would accept the position if 
     offered. He said he didn't know going into the meeting 
     knowing that he was selected, although there had been chatter 
     on social media throughout the weekend.
       ``I went out on a limb by having that meeting, knowing that 
     I could have had egg on my face if it didn't go the way I was 
     praying for it to go,'' he said. ``But, that's the risk you 
     take sometimes.''
       Why he applied?
       Hendricks, who served as the executive director of the 
     Christian County Chamber of Commerce from 2010 to 2013, said 
     he has always been interested in economic development and 
     thought about pursuing the position with the regional EDC in 
     2017 when Lindsey was ultimately named the director.
       ``There's been a couple other times I was interested in 
     that position, but the timing never felt right,'' Hendricks 
     said. ``The reason I was willing to step forward now and show 
     interest is because I have a passion for it, I believe I have 
     a skillset for it and I know I have experience in it. It was 
     inevitable that I would be looking for something different in 
     the next two to two and a half years, and I cannot afford to 
     wait until the next opportunity arises.''
       Hendricks said he expected Lindsey to be in the position 
     for five to seven years like national trends show, and he 
     hoped to apply once his second term in office was done.
       However, when the opportunity arose again in November, 
     Hendricks said he expressed interest. He went on to say he 
     had no contact with the EDC board members after his interview 
     in December, except the board chair to ask about the hiring 
     process.
       The South Western Kentucky Economic Development Council was 
     formed in 2012 through a merger of the Todd County Industrial 
     Foundation with the Christian County Economic Development 
     Council, according to New Era archives. In May 2014, the 
     Cadiz-Trigg County Economic Development Commission joined 
     forces with the two.
       The executive director works to recruit businesses and 
     industry to the tri-county region. Hendricks said the new job 
     will be a challenge, but he's up for it.
       ``A lot of my dad's family is from Trigg County . . . and 
     I've got great working relationships with the mayors and 
     judge executives, and I've worked hard to maintain those 
     relationships,'' Hendricks said. ``I'm still going to have to 
     learn more about Todd County and Trigg County, but I'm eager 
     to do that.''


                    Steps to appointing a new mayor

       According to KRS 83A.040, Hendricks must submit a formal 
     resignation letter with his final date before the process to 
     appoint an interim mayor can begin.
       The statute explains that his resignation shall be 
     effective at the next regular or special meeting of city 
     council after the date specified in his letter of 
     resignation. City council will then have 30 days to fill the 
     vacancy with an interim mayor.
       The statute goes on to explain that the interim mayor can 
     serve until the next succeeding annual election, at which 
     time the vacancy will be filled by election for the remainder 
     of the term. The next general election is in November.
       The mayor's assistant, Idalia Luna, is leaving at the end 
     of January for her new role with the city as executive 
     director of the Human Rights Commission. The mayor said he 
     didn't look for her replacement because the next mayor should 
     choose the person for that role.
       ``I intentionally didn't fill that role until I knew how 
     this would turn out,'' Hendricks said.
       Of the empty mayor's office that will be left, Hendricks 
     said the staff is equipped to keep the city afloat. ``People 
     like to believe that the mayor is the one running the city, 
     but if you're doing your job correctly, the credit is to 
     these city employees,'' he said.
       ``I care a lot about this team,'' he continued. ``I spent 
     five years with them and had a heart attack with them--and I 
     don't say that lightly. This team rallied around me and they 
     showed up--they showed up in the hospital, they sent cards 
     and notes. They'll be my family no matter what role I'm in as 
     long as I'm in this community. They're good people.''


                       Hendricks' time in office

       Hendricks was elected for his first term as mayor of 
     Hopkinsville in November 2014. According to New Era archives, 
     Hendricks became only the second Republican mayor in the 
     city's history. Herb Hays was the first when he was elected 
     in 1985 and died in office in 1987.
       Hendricks said he wouldn't trade his time as mayor for 
     anything, but he acknowledged that it was a tough job.
       When asked about the stress of being mayor, Hendricks said 
     he believes a variety of things contributed to his heart 
     attack on Christmas Eve 2016.
       ``When I first had the health scare, I was running on the 
     greenway, so it's not that I wasn't a healthy person,'' he 
     said. ``. . . More than anything it was genetic. My dad 
     passed away at 64 from heart disease and had his first heart 
     attack at 46.
       ``Sure, I have to believe that some of the pressure and 
     stress of this job contributed to (my heart attack),'' he 
     recalled. ``At the time, we were really working on the WINS 
     initiative to get it approved, and I'm a pretty Type A 
     personality when I believe in something . . . those types of 
     characteristics combined with genetics and too many Dr. 
     Peppers contributed to a heart attack when I was 43.''
       Hendricks' Hoptown WINS initiative, an acronym for 
     Wellness, Infrastructure and Neighborhood, was a major part 
     of his first term. The $14.8 million in capital projects came 
     to fruition through a tax increase voted on by city council. 
     The result? The construction of the Planters Bank-Jennie 
     Stuart Health Sportsplex, a series of downtown improvements, 
     extensions to the Hopkinsville Rail Trail greenway system, 
     two neighborhood parks, the completion of the visitor's 
     center on East Ninth Street and more sidewalks around town.
       ``Everything we did in the Hoptown WINS initiative had 
     economic development in mind,'' he said. ``If you look at 
     what economic developers and site planners will tell you, 
     there's about five things that are the most important 
     criteria for communities to be successful. One of those is 
     quality of place--walkability, performing arts facilities 
     like the Alhambra theatre, youth activities . . . those types 
     of things matter.
       ``You have to be a desirable community for industries to 
     want to invest in you,'' he continued. ``Those are the types 
     of projects that industries and workers are looking for, so 
     nearly everything we've done has been to try to position our 
     self to take better advantage of economic development 
     opportunities.''
       Hendricks said he had the support of his wife, Faye, and 
     their two children, Chase and Lily, when he pursued the 
     position. He also said he prayed.
       ``I know that sounds cliche, but as a result of prayer and 
     speaking with the family, I decided to pursue this 
     opportunity knowing that it wasn't an ideal time,'' he said. 
     ``There isn't an ideal timeline when you're serving in an 
     elected position and thinking about what you're going to do 
     next.''
       Hendricks said he has no plans to leave his hometown 
     anytime soon and he doesn't plan to run for any other elected 
     positions. For now, Hendricks said he hopes to make positive 
     change in the community through his new role at the EDC.
       ``What I hope people will see after it's all said and done 
     is . . . I'm not leaving the team--if anything I'm just in a 
     slightly different position of the team,'' he said. ``If you 
     think I've been the quarterback, I'm now the wide receiver, 
     and my job as this wide receiver is to go deep and score 
     touchdowns and recruit business and industries that will help 
     this community grow and provide more opportunities for 
     families.''

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