[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 183 (Tuesday, October 19, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1109]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO JEAN HALE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HAROLD ROGERS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 19, 2021

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the 
remarkable career and astute leadership of my dear friend, Jean Hale of 
Pikeville, Kentucky, who plans to retire after dedicating 52 years in 
the banking industry in Central Appalachia, serving as Chairwoman, 
President, and Chief Executive Officer of Community Trust Bancorp for 
the last 23 years.
  Jean Hale joined Community Trust in 1969 and progressed through the 
officer ranks, working twice as hard to make her mark in a male-
dominated industry. In 1992, she was named President and CEO of 
Community Trust Bank and seven years later, became president and CEO of 
Community Trust Bancorp. In 2005, Chairwoman was added to her growing 
list of leadership roles. During her tenure, the company's total assets 
increased 152 percent from $2.2 billion on December 31, 1999, to $5.5 
billion on June 30, 2021, with banking locations in Kentucky, West 
Virginia, and Tennessee.
  She credits her stellar work ethic to her parents. Her father was a 
coal mining electrician, and she refers to her mother as a ``homemaking 
engineer'' for making their clothes, raising their garden and canning 
goods. Together, they put Jean and her three siblings through college 
with no debt, moving from Grapevine to Pikeville so they could live at 
home and go to college, saving money on room and board. Jean has 
carried the same financial wisdom and skills throughout her career, 
even making her own suits when she first started working for Community 
Trust.
  Over the year, her counsel and expertise have been highly sought 
after among financial sector experts, leading her to become Chairwoman 
of the Board of the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority and 
a member of the Kentucky Economic Development Partnership Board, the 
Commonwealth Seed Capital, LLC Board, the University of Pikeville Board 
of Trustees, the ARH Foundation Board, and the Community Depository 
Institutions Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
  In addition to her work in the banking industry, I am personally 
grateful for Jean's commitment to SOAR--Shaping Our Appalachian 
Region--a non-profit organization that she helped launch to revitalize 
rural communities in Kentucky's Appalachian region as a result of the 
downturn of the coal industry. Jean was one of the first leaders that I 
personally asked to help establish SOAR. The initiative that started in 
2013 is now a comprehensive regional movement that is effectively 
shaping a brighter future for the people of southern and eastern 
Kentucky. Since day one, she has served on the SOAR Executive Committee 
and as Chair of the Development Committee and Finance Committee. Thanks 
to her leadership, SOAR is a thriving, self-sustaining grassroots 
organization that is empowering economic development and growth where 
we need it the most.
  The characteristic that sets Jean apart is her passion. She deeply 
loves Eastern Kentucky and watching our region thrive despite our 
challenges. I count it a great honor to celebrate my friend, Jean Hale 
and the countless accomplishments that she has made on behalf of so 
many Central Appalachian families and businesses. May her retirement be 
blessed by many wonderful years with her family and beloved 
grandchildren.

                          ____________________