[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 213 (Wednesday, December 16, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING THE RETIREMENT OF ANNE EVANS

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                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 16, 2020

  Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor an energetic and 
tireless advocate for Connecticut businesses, Anne Evans, on her 
incredible career. When she retires at the end of this month, the state 
will lose one of the most enthusiastic and genuine advocates for local 
economic development after a life of working for and with small and 
local businesses.
  Anne has served for 13 years as District Director of the U.S. 
Department of Commerce International Trade Administration District 
Office in Middletown, Connecticut. In that position, she has brought 
Connecticut businesses and ingenuity to the global marketplace. As a 
Department of Commerce Employee, she took her role as a public servant 
seriously, providing local businesses with the sort of global 
perspective and expertise they need to grow into new markets. Before 
joining the Commerce Department, Anne worked for decades in the private 
sector in her family's tire business and ultimately became a world-
recognized leader in tire recycling products in Europe and the U.S. 
That background made her particularly well equipped to assist small 
businesses cope with the sometimes daunting challenges of the global 
marketplace.
  Like all good public servants, Anne's passion and enthusiasm comes 
from a true affection for our state and its people.
  Anne has worked to help well over 2,500 Connecticut companies export 
their products and attract customers overseas--providing an enormous 
economic boon to our State and providing a place for Connecticut on the 
national business stage. Additionally, she has worked extensively with 
Connecticut veterans and National Guard reservists, spearheading the 
Veterans Workforce Development Program and helping countless veterans 
receive training and find private sector employment in Connecticut.
  In recent years, Anne worked closely with my office on major events 
to support Connecticut's aerospace and defense industries--and just 
last year, hundreds of people came to Connecticut during the 
International Space Summit to engage with Connecticut companies. Anne 
helped expand agricultural exports abroad for smaller family farmers in 
Connecticut, assisted small suppliers in becoming part of the submarine 
supply chain, and made countless connections across industries and 
countries to help create win-win opportunities for everyone.
  Anne's ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and creative thinking has been 
instrumental not just in helping Connecticut's economy, but globally. I 
have fond memories of the many trade missions that she and I organized 
and led together--from Canada to Northern Ireland to Israel.
  I thank Anne for her tireless work for Connecticut. I will truly miss 
having her at Commerce but look forward to seeing where she lands next. 
I know that she will be successful in anything she does in the future.
  Congratulations on her well-deserved retirement.

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