[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 25 (Thursday, February 6, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF MARK DAVIS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HAROLD ROGERS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 6, 2020

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Mark Davis in appreciation of his dedicated service to the people of 
Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District, specifically through his 
tireless work with Operation UNITE and the Eastern Kentucky PRIDE 
organization over the last two decades.
   I count it a great honor to have had high-caliber individuals, like 
Mark, helping lead initiatives that I personally launched to meet dire 
needs across more than 40 counties in southern and eastern Kentucky. 
He's the type of individual who has sacrificed countless hours, 
executing a broad spectrum of tasks with his unique charisma, the 
utmost humility, a tireless reliability and sheer excellence.
   Mark joined Eastern Kentucky PRIDE (Personal Responsibility in a 
Desirable Environment) in 2002 as a Field Representative. PRIDE is a 
grassroots non-profit organization that was launched to help clean-up 
the hillsides, roadways, lakes and streams, across our beautiful 
Appalachian region in Kentucky. Thanks in-large-part to Mark's 
ambition, organizational skills, and drive, upwards of 30,000 
volunteers have participated in litter clean-up campaigns every year to 
improve the environment. There has never been a task too great or too 
small for Mark. He was always the first to graciously give his time and 
energy for the greater good, whether it involved greeting volunteers at 
events and handing out trash bags, or working directly with state 
officials to clean up the largest illegal dumpsites in Eastern 
Kentucky, or educating students about the value of greenhouses and 
protecting our wetlands. While others discussed ways to improve our 
environment, Mark was outdoors getting the job done. PRIDE's work is 
where the rubber meets the road--and Mark could often be found pulling 
up his bootstraps to haul appliances from illegal dumpsites, transport 
volunteers to service sites, building outdoor classrooms, and finding 
every opportunity to make a difference every single day.
   Mark's passion for PRIDE bled over to another powerful movement in 
our region, Operation UNITE, a holistic non-profit organization aimed 
at curbing the deadly opioid epidemic both in our region and 
nationwide. After faithfully volunteering for Camp UNITE, where he 
served as a mentor to at-risk middle school students, he joined the 
UNITE team in 2014 as the Youth Programs Coordinator, and later a Law 
Enforcement Liaison. In an effort to creatively raise drug-free 
awareness among our youth, Mark operated a state-of-the-art mobile 
education trailer and prevention program, called ``On the Move,'' in 
partnership with the Kentucky Army National Guard and the Appalachian 
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA). Since 2013, 
approximately 40,000 students from schools in 43 counties and four 
states have participated in the interactive program. He also played a 
valuable role each year at the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin 
Summit, coordinating logistics for the event that has grown into the 
largest conference in the country aimed at saving lives and addressing 
the nation's opioid crisis through a multipronged approach.
   Mark is the teammate you want to have in the fox hole with you when 
things get tough, and the comic relief you need on a difficult day. His 
dedication, his inspirational attitude, and perseverance have set the 
bar high for programs operated by PRIDE and UNITE. I'm grateful for the 
personal efforts that he has invested in the lives of countless 
students and families across Southern and Eastern Kentucky, and I wish 
him the very best success in the years ahead.

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