[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 10 (Thursday, January 16, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO CARL ADRIAN

 Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
close friend, ally, and devoted public servant, Mr. Carl Adrian, as he 
retires from a 16-year career supporting our national security, 
environmental cleanup, economic growth, job creation, and furthering 
the ever-expanding missions of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and 
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PNNL, as well as advancements in 
innovation and more tied to each of these in my home State of 
Washington.
  Mr. Adrian, retiring president and CEO of Tri-Cities Development 
Council--TRIDEC--began his service to the Pasco, Richland, West 
Richland, and Kennewick cities, also known as the TriCities, on 
September 1, 2003. Mr. Adrian arrived in the Tri-Cities as a 
transplant, being born and raised in Omaha, NE, where he graduated from 
Westside High School. Mr. Adrian then obtained his bachelor of arts in 
political science, geography, and later a masters of administration in 
urban and economic geography from the University of Iowa.
  Prior to Mr. Adrian's tenure with TRIDEC, he spent significant time 
supporting economic development throughout the central region of the 
United States through his work with multiple organizations. He served 
communities in Casper, WY, the Quad-City area of both Iowa and 
Illinois, and Cedar Valley located in Waterloo/Cedar Falls, IA, before 
embarking upon his last enterprise in the Tri-Cities.
  Mr. Adrian has devoted his life to supporting commerce and new 
innovation in the region. In his role at TRIDEC, Mr. Adrian has been 
one of the Tri-Cities most effective advocates to Congress, frequently 
working to ensure members of Washington State's congressional 
delegation were abreast of the concerns and needs of the community 
while also helping to strengthen federal support for Central Washington 
priorities, including working to successfully expand Washington State's 
wine industry, signing vital MOUs with Hong Kong to bolster the local 
economy, and more. Mr. Adrian's dedication to inclusive collaboration 
ensures important stakeholders are never left uninformed on the needs 
of the Tri-Cities area, and through his robust advocacy, the region has 
seen significant population and economic growth as well as industry 
expansion, offering many Tri-Citians a new path to the American Dream.
  As TRIDEC's longest-serving president, Mr. Adrian has successfully 
led efforts to help expand the Tri-Cities airport and offer nonstop 
daily flights to key regional airports; create the Manhattan Project 
National Historical Park in 2015; promote services to attract, retain, 
and improve commerce and economic development throughout the region, 
which led to significant job growth, population growth, and the 
development of several new business ventures in the TriCities.
  It is clear to me that Washington State has benefited greatly from 
Mr. Adrian's vision and passion for promoting what the Tri-Cities 
community, its workforce, the Hanford Site, and PNNL have to offer, as 
I have seen firsthand both at home and in the other Washington. His 
work is evident in the progress that has been made on environmental 
cleanup at Hanford, as well as his work to help plan a future for the 
Tri-Cities that looks past cleanup operations towards preserving the 
region's rich history through designations of the B Reactor as a 
National Historic Landmark and Manhattan Project National Historical 
Park, and seeking out new, emerging opportunities like small modular 
reactors to help grow additional economic opportunities in the region 
and boost Washington State's leadership role in cutting-edge energy 
technologies to combat climate change. Through all of this, he has 
remained as committed as they come. Last August, when I had the good 
fortune to get one more visit with Mr. Adrian at PNNL, I was 
unsurprised that he still carried the same enthusiasm and pride for his 
work as he did during his first visit with me in 2003.
  Mr. Adrian has been critical to my work in the U.S. Senate to ensure 
the Federal Government is keeping its commitments to central 
Washington, and he has made a tremendous impact on the Tri-Cities 
community, Washington State, and our Nation. Today, I join with others 
throughout the State of Washington in thanking him for his many years 
of service. I congratulate Mr. Carl Adrian on his retirement and wish 
him and his wife Rheta the best of luck as they write their next 
chapter together.

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