[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 184 (Wednesday, October 20, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7122-S7123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                       TRIBUTE TO STEVE LEVESQUE

 Mr. KING. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 
outstanding career of a leader in economic development in the State of 
Maine. Steve Levesque, of Greenville, ME, is retiring after 41 years of 
professional experience in the areas of economic and community 
progress, land use planning, and environmental services in both the 
private and public sectors, including when I was Governor as 
commissioner of Maine's Department of Economic and Community 
Development. Most recently, Steve has made an indelible mark in his 
position as executive director of Midcoast Regional Redevelopment 
Authority, MRRA. From his first days in economic and community 
development in Maine, Steve has held a number of leadership positions 
in which he has led and advocated tirelessly for local, regional, and 
State economies with consistent messages of the quality of the business 
environment in Maine alongside our quality of life as Mainers.
  In 2005, there were indications that the Naval Air Station Brunswick, 
NASB, would be disestablished and Steve, at that time, led the 
Brunswick Local Redevelopment Authority, charged with overseeing the 
successful completion of the Reuse Master Plan for NASB. He has been 
MRRA's only executive director since its formation in 2008. In 2011, 
when NASB officially closed, there were persistent doomsday forecasts 
about the hole that was left behind. Steve brought his own brand of 
fervency to MRRA to realize a dream of the adaptive reuse of the former 
base, now known as Brunswick Landing. He started by assembling a 
passionate and hard-working team and began carefully cultivating what 
would become critical and dedicated partnerships, developed over the 
years with so many groups: the Navy, the towns of Brunswick and 
Topsham, the State of Maine, all of Maine's congressional delegation, 
the FAA, and especially the impressive list of businesses and private 
developers who have invested in the vision to convert a former Navy 
base into an economic engine that

[[Page S7123]]

today holds more than 2,400 jobs, surpassing the $150 million former 
Navy payroll.
  When you read the list of other benchmarks at Brunswick Landing, over 
only 10 years--the creation of TechPlace, a manufacturing business 
incubator with 35 resident businesses; attraction of over a half 
billion dollars in private sector capital investment; property sales to 
more than 20 new property owners, including more than 650 units of 
workforce housing; more than $150 million in new valuation and $3 
million in annual property taxes generated for the Towns of Brunswick 
and Topsham; more than $40 million in upgrades to Brunswick Executive 
Airport's--BXM-- infrastructure and buildings; more than $100 million 
invested in new building construction and infrastructure projects owned 
by MRRA; creation of Brunswick Renewable Energy Center, including 
ownership of former Navy electrical grid with 3.5-megawatt load and 2 
megawatts of on-site renewable electricity generation; 10 percent 
annual growth in air operations, based aircraft, and aviation fuel 
sales at BXM; environmental stewardship and wildlife habitat 
preservation, including transfer of more than 1,200 acres of open space 
and trails to the town of Brunswick and local land trust--it is no 
wonder Steve's leadership has been recognized, not once but twice, as a 
recipient of the Association of Defense Contractor's Community 
Leadership Award as well as by many other State development 
organizations. I join them wholeheartedly in recognizing Steve for 
demonstrating innovation and excellence in his work.
  Even in his volunteer time, Steve serves on a number of industry and 
economic development boards, including the Loring Development Authority 
of Maine, Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation, Owls 
Head Transportation Museum, and the Maine Spaceport Leadership Council, 
to name a few. Steve has also served his country in the U.S. Marine 
Corps as an aircraft mechanic.
  Due to Steve's commitment to economic development and ability to 
secure funding for a variety of initiatives throughout the years, there 
has been continued high quality service for new and expanding 
businesses here in Maine. His ability to coordinate programs and foster 
partnerships were critical factors in his success, whether it be at the 
local, State, or national level. As a champion of economic development, 
I join with his colleagues, friends, and the people of Maine in 
thanking Steve for his unwavering service to the economic development 
of our State.

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