[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 30, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H5098-H5100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING DARRELL WOOD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Tlaib). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 3, 2019, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. 
Darrell Wood and his patriotic contributions to the city of Benton, 
Arkansas.
  Earlier this summer, Benton's mayor, Tom Farmer, noticed a street 
adorned with American flags. Over the coming weeks, Mayor Farmer 
noticed that more and more flags were appearing around the city until 
nearly every street in Benton was decorated. After asking citizens, 
Mayor Farmer determined that Mr. Wood was responsible for this 
patriotic display.
  To show their appreciation, Mayor Farmer and the City Council 
formally honored Mr. Wood for his contributions to the community with a 
commemorative plaque. The beautiful sight of these flags has inspired 
others in the community to add more of their own.
  Mr. Woods' actions have served as a bright light in these trying 
times, and we thank him for his selfless service to his city.


                 Recognizing James ``Skip'' Rutherford

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize James 
``Skip'' Rutherford, who announced plans to retire as dean of the 
University of Arkansas, Clinton School of Public Service in Little 
Rock.
  Mr. Rutherford has served in this role since 2006 and planned to 
retire earlier this year but stayed longer than expected to help the 
school, students, faculty, and staff weather the storm of COVID-19, 
which shows his dedication to the lives of those with whom he works.
  Skip had a passion for public service at a young age as he watched 
the election returns on the courthouse lawn in Batesville, Arkansas. He 
believed in order to make a real difference, you need to roll up your 
sleeves and get in the arena. He was instrumental in the building of 
the Clinton Presidential Library, the development of the River Market 
District, and coordinating the 40th anniversary commemoration of the 
1957 integration of Little Rock Central High School, which in turn led 
to the school being named a national historic site.
  Martha and I wish Skip a fulfilling and active retirement.

                              {time}  1915


                        Recognizing Grady Spann

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Grady 
Spann, the director of Arkansas State Parks, who was recently named 
president of the National Association of State Park Directors.
  Mr. Spann is a 27-year employee of Arkansas State Parks, having 
previously served as superintendent of the Ozark Folk Center, Historic 
Washington, and the Parkin Archaeological State Park. In 2012, he was 
named supervisor of Region 5, a newly created region of State parks.
  Mr. Spann's passion and dedication earned him not only the position 
of director of Arkansas State Parks in 2016, but now as president of 
the National Association of State Park Directors. The association aims 
to promote and advance State park systems throughout the United States.
  Grady's commitment to the preservation of the Natural State and 
beyond is evident in his leadership. I congratulate Grady Spann and 
wish him well in this new leadership assignment.


         Recognizing the VFW Department of Arkansas' Post 4453

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the VFW 
Department of Arkansas' Post 4453 in

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Morrilton, Arkansas, on the occasion of their 75th year of service.
  Post 4453, also known as the Martin-Bradley Post, has been given 
their Diamond Jubilee Award for their exceptionally long and dedicated 
service to veterans in the Morrilton area.
  Our Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Arkansas do so much to support 
our heroes, once they return home from service, by providing access to 
resources and a sense of community. The VFW posts also honor veterans 
once they pass, keeping their memories alive in the hearts of central 
Arkansans.
  Every year for the Fourth of July, VFW Post 4453 lines up American 
flags for the Morrilton Walk of Flags. Each of these flags is a visual 
reminder of the brave men and women from Conway County who defended our 
freedom at home and abroad.
  Thank you to our central Arkansas veterans who have laid their lives 
on the line for country, and congratulations to the Martin-Bradley Post 
of the American Veterans of Foreign Wars for their 75 years of service. 
May they serve many more in the years ahead.


                         Honoring Dale English

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life 
of a great Arkansas public servant, Mr. Dale English. He was 80 years 
old.
  Before passing, Dale served the city of Searcy for 33 years as city 
councilman, and he served the fire department for 20 years, retiring as 
captain.
  Throughout his years of public service, Mr. English developed a 
reputation as a thoughtful, intelligent leader who earned the respect 
of his peers.
  As a constant presence on the Searcy City Council for the past 33 
years, Mr. English's knowledge and experience were only matched by his 
love and commitment to youth sports.
  His memory will serve the community as a model of an effective, 
dedicated public servant for years to come.
  I join the citizens of Searcy and all Arkansans in honoring the 
remarkable life of Dale English. He will be missed. May he rest in 
peace.


                     Recognizing Ryan Christiansen

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize the 
accomplishments and service of Ryan Christiansen of Bald Knob, 
Arkansas.
  Ryan is a member of Troop 157 of the Boy Scouts of America. His goal 
was always to become an Eagle Scout, which he accomplished on April 25, 
2019, after earning 51 Scouting badges, 30 more than the number 
required.
  For his Eagle Scout project, Ryan built a mobile drop box for the 
proper retirement of American flags. He is additionally working to 
place Purple Heart parking signs at businesses in his area.
  The Arkansas Veterans of Foreign Wars named Ryan the 2020 Eagle Scout 
of the Year. He was additionally honored with a challenge coin from the 
White County Sheriff's Office, and County Judge Mike Lincoln named 
August 7 Ryan Christiansen Appreciation Day coinciding with Purple 
Heart Day.
  Now a freshman at Arkansas State University, Mr. Christiansen has 
worked tirelessly in the service of others, and I am proud to honor his 
hard work and perseverance today.


                        Recognizing Barry McKuin

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Barry 
McKuin. Barry is stepping down from his responsibilities after 15 years 
of service to the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute as an original board 
member and advocate for this important nonprofit organization.
  Mr. McKuin first served as the CFO of Winrock Farms after Governor 
Winthrop Rockefeller passed away in 1973, and his involvement only grew 
from there. He was heavily involved in the Conway County Economic 
Development Corporation and served as its president.
  Barry has always put his community, the town of Morrilton, on the map 
by involving the town in the Uncommon Communities Program, which 
promotes local community and economic development.
  Lisenne Rockefeller, Institute board member, said, ``Barry saw the 
big picture, focused on the future, and kept others on track.''
  Mr. McKuin's service to the nonprofit and community are greatly 
appreciated. Congratulations on his successful tenure at the Winthrop 
Rockefeller Institute, and we wish Barry McKuin success in years to 
come.


                        Recognizing Mary Newsome

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, today, I recognize the career 
and contributions of Mary Newsome to the University of Arkansas 
Community College at Morrilton and to Conway County, Arkansas.
  Mary is the longest-serving employee of the college, beginning in 
1981 as extra help and, now, currently serving as the assistant to the 
chancellor. Yet after 39 years, her dedication to others goes far 
beyond the campus in Morrilton.

  Her list of community involvement is long, including her service as a 
board member of the Morrilton Area Chamber of Commerce, CHI St. Vincent 
Morrilton, Conway County Senior Adult Center, and the Conway County 
School Counts. She additionally serves as secretary of the Conway 
County branch of the NAACP and as a Sunday school teacher at her 
church.
  Mary always makes you feel so welcome. She is a neighbor that 
everybody wants and a citizen that every community needs. She has 
dedicated her life to the betterment of others, and I thank her for her 
years of service to UA Community College Morrilton and central 
Arkansas.


                       Recognizing Dionne Jackson

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize Dionne 
Jackson, the executive director of AR Kids Read, for striving to 
improve the literacy of Arkansas children.
  Ms. Jackson recognized the importance of literacy very young, after 
realizing that a family member could not read or write when they signed 
a document with an X rather than sign their name. This experience 
inspires her work daily at AR Kids Read.
  Dionne grew up in the Western Hills neighborhood of Little Rock and 
attended Hendrix College in Conway. After earning her degree, she 
became a science teacher at her alma mater, Horace Mann High School.
  She earned her master's from the University of Central Arkansas and 
went on to earn a Doctorate in Education from Baylor University, then 
becoming a tenured professor at Hendrix.
  As the executive director of AR Kids Read, she works every day to 
further their mission to advance the literacy education of Arkansas 
children and families with the aim of having students read proficiently 
by the third grade.
  Our community is so grateful to her dedication for this essential 
need in our area.


                       Recognizing Darrell Walker

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, as we start a new school year, I 
rise today to recognize the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's 
men's basketball coach, my friend, Darrell Walker, who was named last 
year's Sun Belt Coach of the Year.
  Coach Walker became the third UA Little Rock coach ever to win the 
award, leading the Trojans to one of the Nation's best turnarounds, 
going from a 10-21 record the previous year to 21-10 this past season.
  That includes a 15-5 record in the Sun Belt Conference, on the way to 
UA Little Rock's first outright league title since 2015-2016.
  The spring of pandemic cut short the passion of March Madness. The 
Trojans were one of just two teams in Division I that finished in 1st 
place in their conference after being picked 11th or lower in the 
conference preseason.
  Coach Walker's passion for excellence in leadership and hard work are 
always evident, and he can now add Sun Belt Coach of the Year to his 
long list of accolades and career accomplishments.
  Good luck to Coach Walker, and good luck to the 2020-2021 team. Go 
Trojans.


                       Recognizing Derrick Clark

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
Derrick Clark, who has made Arkansas proud with his resilience and his 
determination.
  For years, Derrick wrestled with drug abuse and homelessness on the 
streets in Little Rock, looking somehow for a fresh start. He spent 
time at Jericho Way, our Little Rock shelter, where he was able to meet 
people who saw his potential.
  Madam Speaker, Mr. Clark made that slow march to sobriety and self-

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sufficiency by working minimum-wage jobs until he landed a position 
with a trucking company. Armed with a commercial driver's license and 
gainful employment under his belt, Derrick established the Paul Philia 
Scholarship to give others the opportunity to attend trucking school.
  Mr. Clark put up the first $1,000 of his own money to launch the 
scholarship, and the fund was quickly put with the Arkansas Community 
Foundation. The J.C. Thompson Trust has agreed to match every dollar 
donated up to $10,000. Mr. Clark is now enrolled in college classes and 
dreams of writing a book.
  Madam Speaker, I commend Mr. Clark and wish him the best of luck in 
his journey, that journey of the pursuit of happiness.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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