[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 209 (Thursday, December 10, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7420]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO BILL RANEY

 Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. President, I rise to recognize Bill Raney, a 
dedicated West Virginian, who is retiring after serving 28 years as 
president and chief executive officer of the West Virginia Coal 
Association.
  Bill knows the value of coal--to our Appalachian communities, where 
it puts food on the table; to our State, where it provides tax revenues 
to pave our roads and fund our schools; and to our Nation, where it has 
helped power the greatest economic engine the world has ever known for 
more than a century. He also appreciates the challenges and dangers 
inherent in producing the black gold that creates all that well-being, 
starting his career working in public service to protect our miners.
  Starting in 1970, Bill--a graduate of his beloved West Virginia 
University--became familiarized with the coal industry working as a 
surface mine inspector for the West Virginia Department of Natural 
Resources Division of Reclamation. In recognition of his service, he 
was later promoted to assistant chief of that division. Moving to the 
private sector, Bill then served as vice president of the West Virginia 
Mining & Reclamation Association from 1977, until being named president 
of the West Virginia Coal Association in 1992. When the two 
organizations merged in 2000, he remained president of the newly formed 
organization, representing the whole of West Virginia's coal industry.
  Bill held these leadership positions serving the hard-working coal 
miners of West Virginia, while also serving his country in the West 
Virginia Army National Guard. During his time with the Guard, he served 
in various leadership roles, including commander of the 1092nd Combat 
Engineer Battalion, commander of the 111th Engineer Group, and special 
assistant to the Adjutant General at the rank of colonel. Following his 
personal service, Bill has continued advocating on behalf of our 
guardsmen as president of the West Virginia National Guard Association 
and chairman of the West Virginia National Guard Foundation.
  Bill's participation in civic organizations extends far beyond the 
military and the coal industry, as he has served as both chairman and 
as a current board member of the West Virginia Business & Industry 
Council; current board member of the West Virginia Youth Leadership 
Association's Youth in Government Program, former chairman and current 
board member of the West Virginia Kids Count Fund; advisory member of 
the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Advisory 
Committee; member of the West Virginia University School of Engineering 
Mining Program Visiting Committee; as an elder at the First 
Presbyterian Church in Charleston; and volunteering his time with 
several other organizations. Bill has left an indelible legacy through 
his commitment to our State and our Nation's military, impacts that 
will be felt throughout and beyond the coalfields.
  Bill Raney's passion for the coal industry and the improvement of the 
State has earned him numerous honors and awards over the course of his 
distinguished career. This includes but is not limited to the 
Distinguished West Virginian Award, the WVU Alumni Association's Most 
Loyal Alumni Award, the National Multiple Sclerosis Association's Hope 
Award, and the Lewis McManus Service Award given by the West Virginia 
Youth in Government Program. Mr. Raney has also been inducted into the 
West Virginia Coal Hall of Fame and the First Tee Hall of Fame.
  It has been an honor to know and work with Bill during his 
distinguished tenure representing the coal industry and several 
esteemed civic organizations in West Virginia. He has been a great 
ally, resource, and friend to me over the years, and I will be forever 
grateful for his service. I wish him and his wife Pam many years of joy 
in this new phase of life. It is truly an honor to recognize and 
congratulate my friend Bill Raney on his well-deserved 
retirement.

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